ESTATE PLANNING
Death can be an unexpected and sometimes traumatic event for loved ones and family members. One way to alleviate some of the burden of having to handle an already stressful time for your loved ones – and to give yourself peace of mind that your wishes are carried out after you pass away – is to create a complete and comprehensive estate plan. Our firm recognizes the importance of your legacy and making sure that your loved ones are well cared for into the future. To assist you in making that happen, our experienced legal team can help you prepare a Last Will and Testament, Health Care Proxy and Living Will, as well as a Power of Attorney to make sure that your loved ones can handle all of the important aspects of your life for you should you become unable to do so yourself.
A Last Will and Testament is a legally binding document that contains your wishes as to how your estate is to be distributed amongst your relatives and loved ones upon your death. In this document, you have the ability to appoint an executor to carry out your wishes, as well as to make specific bequests of your assets and possessions to the beneficiaries named in your Will.
A Health Care Proxy and Living Will deal with health care decisions that you may become unable to make on your own. By utilizing these important tools, you name a trusted individual who you appoint to make sure your wishes are carried out, specifically as they relate to end of life decisions, while clearly stating how you wish to receive health care treatment should you become unable to state those wishes. This will help to give you assurance that no measures will be taken medically without your prior consent, and your doctors and loved ones will have clear direction as to what your wishes are.
A Power of Attorney is a document in which you appoint someone to make decisions concerning things such as finances, sale of real estate and payment of bills in the event that you are no longer able to do so on your own. This document terminates upon your death, at which time your Last Will and Testament take precedence in how your estate is handled by the court.
