Plan Ahead For Peace of Mind
Most people have insurance to cover the unexpected but do not have their decision-makers in place for what they surely can expect. Knowing who will make your financial and health care decisions for you if you are unable to, knowing who will close out your financial affairs after you pass, and knowing who will be given legal custody of your minor children should you become incapacitated or pass are all important questions a person needs to be able to answer.
If you do not decide these matters for yourself, the state and the powers that be will decide for you. If you do not execute your own trust or will, the state will write a will for you once you are gone.
At Kellogg & Palzer, P.C., we will help you get the job done and create your own personal estate planning documents that are right for you, in exactly the way you direct us to draft them. This is your life — these should be your decisions and your wishes. You just need to hire the right attorneys to advise you and get the job done. Take the burden off your shoulders and the shoulders of your family and friends, and plan for what you know deep down needs to be planned for. We work with our clients to take the stress off of them so we can help them accomplish their goals.
What Do You Need In An Estate Plan?
Your estate plan needs to appoint financial agents and health care agents to make decisions for you in life and legal decisions for you in death. An estate plan should include:
- Trusts: Most people prefer a trust with the goal being to avoid the time and expense of probate. There are many different benefits to a trust. During a person’s life they are usually their own trustee and then once they pass, the agent that they have chosen becomes the successor trustee who then administers the trust. As quickly as possible, this appointed agent flushes the assets out to the heirs with as minimal time and expense as can be possible.
- Durable power of attorney for property: If you experience a period of incapacity or disability, you need this document to allow someone else to make important financial and property-related decisions for you.
- Durable power of attorney for health care: Also known as a living will, this document will allow you to designate someone who can make important health care decisions if you are no longer able to do so.
- Last will and testament: In your Will, you will designate how you want your property to be divided. You will also appoint a personal representative to manage your estate and take care of these responsibilities.
- Client letter: Our law firm is different than most in a number of ways but in this specific area, the estate plan, we take the time to carefully write our client a letter explaining their estate plan and what steps they need to take in the future so that as they go about living their life, they can feel confident in knowing what arrangements they currently have in place.
Contact Kellogg & Palzer, P.C.
As a small firm that can still claim over six decades of estate planning experience, our firm can provide you with the personal touch and tested hand you are looking for when planning your estate. Handling most estate planning on a flat-fee basis, we provide efficient counsel at reasonable costs. Call 402-333-9200 or contact us online today to learn more.