You need a Will, first and foremost, to make sure that your wishes for “Who gets what,” will be carried out. Your Will can also simplify the administration of your estate, name a guardian for your minor children, and keep peace among your family.
You need a financial power of attorney so that someone can handle your finances for you if you get sick and cannot handle them for yourself.
You need a medical power of attorney so someone can tell your doctor what to do for you if you are not able to tell him yourself.
You need a Living Will, so that you will not be put on life supports without your consent.
You need to have at least these basic documents prepared sooner rather than later. If you wait until you are incapacitated, you may no longer have sufficient mental capacity to be able to execute legal documents. At the very least, if you wait too long, getting these documents done may involve a lot more difficulty and expense.
You need a Will, but do you need a trust also? The answer is, it depends on many things, such as your family, your beneficiaries, your assets and how they are held, and whether there are any special circumstances that indicate a trust is important. Sometimes you hear that everyone should have a trust. That is not true. We tell you the pro’s and con’s of a trust in your case, so that you can make your own decision.
Don’t do it yourself! Do-it-yourself Wills and powers of attorney, are often invalid, and usually cause problems and extra expense even when they are valid.Don’t have Document Preparers do your documents! They are not attorneys, they may charge as much as an attorney and sometimes more, and the results often cause the same problems as when you do it yourself.
Who: A list of names, addresses, and telephone numbers for:
What: A list of your assets including
Documents:
THE GOAL: We can help you make sure that:
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: The information at this web site is for advertising and general information purposes. This information is not intended to be legal advice for you to rely on. We recommend you contact the firm for specific questions. You may communicate with us by mail, e-mail, fax, or telephone. You should be aware, however, that we do not represent you, no attorney-client relationship is established, and any information you give us may not be held in confidence, until and unless we agree to represent you. You should therefore be careful not to include sensitive information in communications to us until we agree to represent you, even if only for a consultation. Once we accept you as a client, all communications are confidential, with only some exceptions provided by rules of law and ethics.
© Lincoln & Lauer, PLLC •