Estate Planning is a great tool to protect your assets and secure your wealth. A properly drafted estate plan can offer you peace of mind in your final moments and provide your loved ones with a roadmap for your care and legacy.
Components of a Comprehensive Estate Plan
All of the following are a part of my basic estate planning package:
Legal Advice
Hiring an attorney and obtaining solid legal advice is the best way to protect your legacy and properly plan for the future. There is no one size fits all format and each estate and family is unique with their own needs and goals. At Button Law Inc. we will make sure to tailor a plan thats specific to you and plan accordingly.
Wills
Wills are the simplest estate planning tools. They are extremely flexible and provide for appointment of guardians, tax savings trusts, and trusts for children. They do not substantially reduce the costs of wealth transfer (i.e. probate).
Living Trusts
Living Trusts Living trusts are legal entities that hold property during a person’s life and provide for a distribution plan after death. All assets in the living trust avoid probate. Living trusts are coordinated with pour-over wills to appoint guardians and tie up loose ends.
Certification of Trust
Each living trust will come with a certification of trust, which is a single page document that will help you fund your trust while keeping the provisions of your trust private.
Financial Power of Attorney
Property Management -Allows someone to manage your financial affairs for assets outside of a living trust if you become incompetent.
Advanced Health Care Directive
Allows someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to give informed consent. This is part of your Advance Medical Directive. In addition to naming your agent for health care, this document instructs a physician as to your desires for end-of-life care.
HIPAA Authorization
Grants loved ones who are not designates as your agent under your Advanced Health Care Directive access to your medical records. This can help keep family members up to date about your condition and can be useful after death for loved ones to wrap up your final medical expenses.
Nomination of Conservatorship
Nominations of conservator allow the settlor to preemptively decide who should care for the settlor and his or her assets in case of incapacity. In California, appointing a conservator requires a court order. This package will assist the settlor with that and other legal procedures. Legal Counseling All packages come with access to my experience and legal expertise. I will help you address any issues or concerns you may have about estate planning and work with you to come up with an estate plan that is specifically designed for you that achieves all your estate planning goals.
Nomination of Guardianship
Appoints guardians for minor children. Parents need a will to ensure that their children would be cared for by the person they believe would raise their children in a rich and nurturing environment. If both parents die without a will, the child’s fate is turned over to the courts which have neither the knowledge nor the interest to do a terrific job of appointing guardians for orphans.
Deeds/ Recordings on Real Property
In order for real property to become property of the trust, and avoid the hassle of probate, it must have the deed on record with the County Recorder’s Office changed. A new deed must be drafted with the appropriate changes and the correct paperwork filed in order for the real property asset to be an asset of the trust.
PEACE OF MIND
A la carte services available. Contact Button Law Inc. today to find out what is best for you.