According to an annual survey conducted by the website Caring.com, the pandemic brought home the message that people need to plan for any contingency in their lives. Nothing is guaranteed, so everyone needs to put in place a plan for the future of their loved ones and for themselves. This is what is known as estate planning.
Estate planning involves not only making arrangements to care for your loved ones, but also expressing your wishes in case of your own incapacitation or death. You can create an advance health care directive to express your desires when facing end-of-life issues.
According to a 2018 study by EstateExec.com, on average, settling an estate takes the executor about 16 months or approximately 570 hours of effort. Being appointed as the executor of an estate is a great honor that comes with huge responsibilities.
According to a new Caring.com survey, only 32.9% of U.S. adults currently have estate planning documents such as a trust or will. Settling the final affairs of a deceased person and distributing their assets to inheritors without a will, trust, or estate plan can bring about several challenges.
When it comes to the process of probate, many people are unfamiliar with what it is and how it works. Whether you are planning your estate or have recently lost a loved one and dealing with the probate process, having an experienced attorney guiding you through the process and educating you on important probate terms can help.
Estate planning is not just about setting up wills and trusts to care for your loved ones when you’re gone. It’s also about preparing for the unexpected surprises in your own life, especially when it comes to your own health.
We have been talking about the importance of timely estate planning in many of these posts. Obviously it is optimal to plan when we are clear-headed. We also know that grief can cloud thinking. This is why an estate plan, complete with health care directive, can...
There are so many resources online that show you how to do everything from making a gourmet dish to refinishing a piece of furniture. While some things are worth embracing the “DIY spirit” and doing yourself, writing your will on your own is not one of them. What...
Estate planning helps Californians protect their most valued assets, their family and even their pets. For many people, pets are as special as anyone else in their family. If you’re worried about what will happen to your pet if you unexpectedly pass away, become...
If you can’t speak for yourself, how will your loved ones know what you want? The answer to that question is an advance directive, a legal document that explicitly outlines your health care wishes. Despite being a crucial piece of an effective estate plan, most of us...
