The need for estate planning services may start earlier for some than for others. This is why the attorneys at Zumbrunn Law Corporation represent clients of all ages, and at all stages of life. They serve their clients with the highest level of professional skill in both simple and advanced estate planning, creating a lasting document that covers each aspect of their client’s lives in the most complete manner possible. An estate plan that is accurately prepared can provide benefits for the heirs and for the person who is planning for the future. Properly arranging your affairs helps protect those you care about, and allows them to avoid the additional pain and confusion that surface when there is no will, trust, or estate plan, and no ability to access funds that are needed to support the family. Don’t take chances with your estate planning; it requires a great level of legal knowledge and skill to plan how to best arrange affairs, to analyze how title is held to assets, and to ensure all documents are correctly drafted to accomplish the specific goals of the client.
Wills
A Will is a legal document that makes a clear indication as to how an individual or couple want their assets, property, personal belongings, money, and valuables distributed after death. Since there are many different aspects to a will and the process involved when creating and executing the correct form for such documents, it is crucial to use an experienced, conscientious attorney to create this type of document. Set up an appointment with Zumbrunn Law Corporation to ensure that your estate will be transferred to the beneficiaries named, according to your wishes. Developing a thorough estate plan puts stability and control for the future in your hands and will ease the strain on your family at a time when they need it the most.
Power of Attorney
A Power of Attorney is a legal document in which an individual can appoint another person to make decisions about their personal finances. The attorneys at Zumbrunn Law Corporation take these concerns seriously and will prepare a Power of Attorney that will allow a trusted loved one to manage your affairs, at a minimum of cost and trouble, when you are unable to communicate your desires.
Advanced Health Care Directives
In California, the law allows individuals to create a legal document that gives direction on the type of health care they want to receive in case they become incapacitated and are no longer able to make those decisions for themselves. It may be important to decide whether or not they would like life-prolonging care in the event that doctors determine he or she is unlikely to recover. A person can name a trusted friend or family member to make these critical decisions at this emotional time, allowing them to control the situation even though other family members may have different philosophies and desires. It is important that advanced planning, involving serious thought and attention, be given to this choice to avoid a dispute among family members at a time when they are distracted by the intense emotion of the situation.
Living Trusts
Living Trusts are legal documents that allow people to make decisions about their property and other assets in a way that allows them to be transferred to the intended beneficiaries without going through an often lengthy and expensive probate process. There are many different provisions that can be placed in a trust to protect the beneficiaries from others and insure that they receive their inheritance with a minimum of expense and delay. To learn more about how a Trust may be specially drafted to meet your particular situation and desires, call and set an appointment with the attorneys at Zumbrunn Law Corporation. When you schedule a consultation with our office, our attorneys will explain which of the numerous forms of trusts would benefit you and your beneficiaries upon your death and how best to draft the Trust so that it conveys your intentions exactly as you wish. Call Zumbrunn Law Corporation and get information to make this complicated subject much easier to understand.
Independent Reviews
When considering naming a care provider (or their relative) as a beneficiary of a will or trust, a Certificate of Independent Review must be done in order for this to be considered a valid provision. For a Certificate of Independent Review to be granted, an impartial attorney would need to meet with the individual creating the will or trust and ensure that the client fully understands their testamentary actions. It is important that this attorney is able to determine that no undue influence was involved in the decision to produce the document and that the circumstances are free of any possible fraud.
This law was created to safe-guard individuals against non-trustworthy parties seeking to take advantage of a delicate situation or exert undue power over another individual. Failure to obtain a certificate of independent review could very well lead to complications in the future, more than likely invalidating the gift in the will or trust. Call Zumbrunn Law Corporation today for a third-party opinion on important legal documents and decisions such as these.