Thinking about the future can be scary; however, you want to ensure you are prepared both for yourself and your family in the event something unfortunate happens. Working with a Los Angeles estate lawyer can help ease your fears.
You never plan for the end, however, when your time comes, you will want to ensure your family will be taken care of. If you live in the LA area, hiring a Los Angeles estate lawyer to help you prepare your will can help ensure nothing falls through the cracks later. Your estate attorney will help you with deciding who will best manage your estate upon your death.
When the time comes to draft up the will, you as the testator, will dictate who will oversee your property upon your passing. This person, or the executor, will then ensure your estate is divided up among beneficiaries according to your wishes. Along with naming the executor, if you have any minor children, your will serves as notice to who you wish to become legal guardians of them.
Many times, individuals believe they can write their will on their own. However, it is recommended to hire an experienced attorney who has experience and knowledge of estate planning strategies you may not know of. One area the estate lawyer may help you with is a living trust, or a revocable living trust. This type of trust is created while you are alive and as long as you are mentally competent; you can change or void the trust at any time for any reason. This becomes irrevocable upon your death.
Your Los Angeles estate lawyer can also advise you on whether you and your spouse should have individual wills or a joint will. Although most estate attorneys will advise individual wills, this is still something you should discuss with your personal estate attorney.
An estate lawyer can also help answer any questions you may have. Some of the most frequent questions asked include:
- What happens if someone contests my will?
- Who can contest the will?
- Why would someone contest the will?
- How often should I change or update my will?
- Where should I keep my will and should I have extra copies?
- What will happen if I die and I don’t have a will?