WILLS and TRUSTS
There is no time like the present to address what will happen to your family when you die or become incapacitated and you are unable to manage your own affairs. The decisions you make today will make the lives of the people you care for easier by protecting the assets from creditors or divorces, and providing financial security after your passing. Contact an experienced and successful wills and trusts attorney in Santa Ana with any legal questions or concerns.
WHAT IS A WILL?
A will or is your last word to the court for instructions on the handling of your property and affairs. A will’s instructions are limited to those assets and matters under the jurisdiction of the probate court. Your will must be in writing and must be signed by you and two witnesses. The witness must attest to your signing the will and also have seen each other witness your will. The failure to strictly adhere to California’s legal formalities will invalidate your will.
WHAT IS A TRUST?
A revocable living trust is a legal device that can be used to manage your property during your lifetime and to distribute your property after your death. A revocable living trust is established by a written agreement or declaration, which appoints a “trustee” to administer the property transferred to the trust, and which gives detailed instructions on how the property is to be managed and eventually distributed.
Wills, trusts, and estates law deals with how an individual or couple plans for the future. Conversely, it deals with the ways that an individual’s family did not plan for the future. A will and trust attorney is often needed for one of two reasons:
- To arrange a will, a trust, or other estate planning tool to protect one’s assets for children and other beneficiaries.
- To get help when someone else’s will and/or estate is not in order, leaving behind problems for children and/or beneficiaries.
We focus on effectively handling the legal needs of our clients. Our firm takes the time to fully understand your situation and will help to ensure a smooth process of establishing a will or trust. We represent individuals, couples, families, and business owners in:
- Drafting living trust and will documents
- Determining beneficiaries of wills and trusts
- Estate planning and administration
Anyone with any level of assets will benefit from estate planning, not just the wealthy. When someone passes away having made a will or trust, his or her estate will be dealt with by state probate laws, which are not necessarily in accord with how that person would wish. There are many benefits of estate planning. When you work with our firm, you can be confident that you will be able to:
- Choose the executor or trustee who will handle your estate after you have passed
- Provide for your immediate family’s future
- Minimize the cost of transferring your assets to beneficiaries you’ve designated
- Get your property to beneficiaries quickly
- Reduce the taxes on your estate
- Help ensure that your business continues to prosper after your passing
- Help a favorite charitable cause
- Plan for the possibility of becoming mentally and/or physically incapacitated
- Describe your wishes regarding your burial and funeral
A Southern California Wills and Trusts Lawyer
The Santa Ana wills and trusts law firm is committed to providing its clients with legal services of the highest quality with a personal, individualized approach to its representation. We pride ourselves in the accessibility of our experienced attorney, and in the thoughtful manner we solve problems for our clients. To schedule an appointment, contact us today.
