Avoid these Costly Mistakes by Hiring an Estate Planning Attorney

In order to pass your estate along to your deserving heirs it is important that you choose a family law attorney to help you draw up an estate plan to avoid extra taxes and probate when you do pass.  An experienced and trusted estate planning lawyer will help to ensure that your assets are distributed properly upon your passing.  They will also be an important part of putting in place a medical power or attorney, POW, just in case you become unable to make decisions regarding your care before your passing.

The process of finding an attorney that is qualified to help you can bequite daunting.  It is however impertitive to the success of transferring your assets upon your passing.  The right attorney will not let you make the mistakes that many people commonly make when creating an estate plan.  There are serious blunders that can be made that should be avoided to create an easy transition of estate upon your passing or if you should become incapacitated and are unable to make decisions for yourself.

Avert Common Misconceptions

Many people think that hiring the services of an estate planning lawyer is only for the rich and affluent.  This however is so far from reality.  Proper preparations for distribution of properties is essential.  Everyone has assets of one kind or another be it real estate, investments, personal belongings,and more.   You do not have to be rich in order to own assets that you will want distributed to your family without the hassle and expense that can come from probate.

Regardless of your financial assets, it is beneficial to have an estate plan in place to distribute your assets.  Asset distribution can be more efficient using a professional lawyer.  An attorney can help reduce the taxes to ensure a smooth transition of these assets to your beneficiaries. The idea is to make sure that your properties are transferred according to your wishes and not determined by a court.

Initial Arrangements

When seeking an estate planning attorney, there are certain things you would want to ask first. Know what the service charges are and what are the best proceedings in place to be applied to reduce tax requirements. Also, check to see if there are any apparent problems with your wishes among the beneficiaries and how best to make these arrangements.

A will or trust may be needed to be updated after the initial draft of your estate plan. So, make sure that you understand about the process. Your lawyer should be provided as much information as possible, which will make it easier to prepare your estate plan. Discuss your bank account information, insurance, pension and retirement plans, debt list, etc. with the attorney during the process.

Seek Attorney References

The best way to look for an estate planning lawyer is to ask for references. Use the help of attorneys, financial advisors, or even the local bar association to find out about professionals near you. Look for advertisements that offer relevant information. A good resort can be to look up online and visit the websites of local attorneys in your area. Professional attorneys will have a proper website with adequate information regarding their service. You may even find testimonials of satisfied customers that have sought real estate planning of their properties.

The power of a good estate planning attorney will help plan your assets well for the time when it comes to distributing your properties among the beneficiaries. A specialist in the field will be the best choice for the job.

Benefits of Gifting Assets

One of the most prominent benefits of segregating your properties is to reduce estate taxes. Once these assets are distributed, they cease to hold against the value of the estate. Hence, taxes levied are comparatively much less. Another advantage is that a capable attorney will remove the hassles that your beneficiaries may have to bear related to paying taxes, litigation, and other additional expenses.
The biggest benefit however is the peace of mind that the asset owner gets by appointing an estate planning lawyer to handle the task of distribution. Knowing that your beneficiaries will not have to face tedious legal issues to claim their rights will be quite a relief.

By incorporating a proper will in place with the legal documents to specify the rightful heir to your property, you will be able to receive the opportunity to determine who acquires which of your assets. An estate planning attorney will help you greatly in the process so you can be rest assured that your belongings get distributed in the proper way as per your desire.

Learn more about attorney Sean J. Nichols and the legal services he provides for clients including: estate planning, elder law issues, Medicaid planning, elder care, probate law, guardianships, and power of attorney (POA) at www.seanjnichols.com.  To contact the offices of Sean J Nichols, call 734.386.0224 today.

The Important of Updating Existing Estate Plans Going into a New Year

Managing legal issues of any kind can be difficult but especially those dealing with the passing of a loved one and probate.  The issues that can arise in these situations often cost a good deal of time and money to establish their outcome.  Although these situations should be avoided with an up to date estate plan in place this is not always the case. We get busy and what was once true and current can often become dated and murky.

Estate Planning Attorney

Hiring an attorney that specializes in family law while focusing on elder care, estate planning, and probate law can often help in ensuring that upon your passing your estate is distributed without issue.  However, if there is an issue they will understand how to help your family to avoid time consuming, costly legal battles.
To avoid issues that can arise upon your untimely passing or inability to take care of yourself any longer you need to have an updated estate plan in place.  There are a million and ten reasons that an estate plan can become outdated therefore it is important going into a new year to look at what is in place and make the updates that are needing.

Life Is Full Of Change

There may be major reason in your life including changes in the law, family changes including divorce, marriage, death and more, personal decisions, and more.  Documents within your estate plan also can become outdated.  Another scenario that often comes up are with the sub trusts and the federal tax exemption and portability which are a new concept.

Federal tax is assessed on the descendent and their estate for any amount larger than the exemption that is allowed upon death.  The estate and gift tax exemption for 2017 is 5.49 million per individual.  It is also important to think about relationship changes within the family; were there any marriages, divorces, births, deaths, adoptions, and so forth.  These changes to your family should be accessed and modified as seen fit.  Keeping an up to date, crystal clear, plan for your estate will ensure an easier transition for your family upon you passing.  The last thing that people want during the grieving process is to process issues arising from improper planning.

Updating Your Legal Documents

There are several reasons to update wills and trusts, estate plans, beneficiary information, and so forth.  No one likes to think about it, but your passing can happen without any notice.  In case of your untimely passing it is important to ensure that estate ends up in the hands of the beneficiaries you desire.

To guarantee that this is the case it is important to have a plan in place that is regularly reviewed and updated by an attorney specializing in family law and estate planning.  Having an attorney that is up to date on the current laws regarding inheritance, real estate, transfers of ownership, and the working of the courts in all things related to probate as they can make sure the documentation is valid and the changes that are completed are done so according to local and federal laws.
There are times when you have in your mind about changing the estate plan but due to your ignorance you do not complete the task. In such situation if a serious condition or death occurs then it becomes difficult to manage your estate plan. It is always important that you never let anyone know what you want them to have and simply get it done to the estate documents.

Make Yearly Reviews A Necessity

It is important to make changes as you see fit however we all know how life gets in the way.  Make sure to get in at least once a year around the New Year without exception.  There is no meaning in waiting for the time to come. It is important that you complete this task as quick as it is possible for you so that you get peace of mind. If you are not having a plan, then you should meet your estate planning attorney in New Year and plan. You should get the documents ready as soon as possible. If you have assets, then you should get some beneficiaries added to it.

Learn more about attorney Sean J. Nichols and the legal services he provides for clients including: estate planning, elder law issues, Medicaid planning, elder care, probate law, guardianships, and power of attorney (POA) at http://seanjnichols.com/estate_planning.  To contact the offices of Sean J Nichols, call 734.386.0224 today.