Planning for death or incapacity isn’t a lighthearted task, but it’s necessary. Discussing and addressing difficult topics now will save your family time and heartache when they’re handling your estate after you’ve passed.
A Cedar Park estate planning attorney from Robbins Estate Law, can help you create a complete, personalized estate plan that provides for your family and meets your goals.
What Is Estate Planning?
Estate planning is the process of arranging your assets and making your wishes known about how to handle your affairs if you’re unable to make decisions or pass away.
It involves more than just your finances. Estate planning encompasses your medical care, family needs, and the legacy you want to leave behind.
Why Do You Need an Estate Plan?
There’s a misconception that estate planning is only for wealthy individuals. But if you have assets in your name or a family you want to provide for, then estate planning is for you.
The State Already Has an Estate Plan for You
Everyone has an estate plan, whether they created one or not. If you pass away without doing your own estate planning, your estate will be distributed according to Texas’s laws of intestacy.
Under these laws, your assets transfer to certain family members based solely on their relationship with you. However, this default plan may not distribute your assets in a way that you would approve of.
By default, people who you love and wish to provide for may get left out in the cold. But by working with a Cedar Park estate planning attorney, you have control over who inherits your estate.
Estate Planning Goes Beyond Planning for Death
With a comprehensive estate plan, you also plan for the unexpected that might happen while you’re still alive.
What would happen if you were injured in an accident? If you are incapacitated, who would take care of your finances? What sort of medical treatment would you want or decline?
By including powers of attorney and health care documents in your estate plan, you make these decisions ahead of time, so your family isn’t left guessing or arguing about what you would want.
What Services Do We Offer?
No two estate plans are the same. An estate planning attorney in Cedar Park can determine what strategies and tools will achieve your goals.
However, everyone should have certain legal documents in place to protect their assets, family, and future.
Last Will and Testament
A last will and testament is a legal document that provides instructions on how to distribute your assets after your death.
With a will, you can also appoint an executor to administer your estate and a guardian to care for any minor children.
When you work with an estate planning attorney in our Cedar Park or Austin offices, they take the time to ensure your will meets all legal requirements to be enforceable.
Trusts
Although not everyone needs a trust as part of their estate plan, they can offer significant benefits. A trust can offer asset protection against creditors, tax advantages, and help your heirs avoid the tedious probate process.
There are many types of trusts that serve a variety of purposes. For example, we can help you create a revocable living trust that removes assets from your estate. This can save your family the hassle of probate, so they get their inheritance faster.
Our estate planning attorneys will walk you through the different trust options that may suit your needs.
Powers of Attorney
A power of attorney is a legally enforceable document that grants decision-making power to someone you appoint (the agent).
You choose how broad or limited the agent’s authority can be. All powers of attorney terminate at your death, or you can have it end if you become incapacitated.
Health Care Documents (Advance Directives)
With health care documents, you can appoint an agent to make medical and personal decisions on your behalf. You can also provide instructions on end-of-life care and funeral arrangements, for example.
To ensure your health care agent can act effectively, it’s important to also provide authorization for your agent to access your medical records.
Contact a Cedar Park Estate Planning Lawyer Today
At Robbins Estate Law, we believe that estate planning is about families.
We get to know our clients and help them achieve their long-term goals through a thorough and comprehensive estate plan.
Every attorney in our office graduated at the top of their class from one of the best schools in the nation, so you know you’re getting top-quality legal advice.
We use a collaborative team approach to get you the results you need. To schedule a free consultation with a Cedar Park estate planning attorney, call 512-649-0486 or submit an online form.