Anaheim Estate Planning Lawyer
Anaheim is home to more than just Disneyland. It is a city of well over 300,000 people working in tourism, health care, sports, hospitality and more. Of the more than 100,000 households in Anaheim, more than half include married couples, and the vast majority of them have children under 18 living at home. Also, around ten percent of the city’s population are 65 years old or older.
Why am I throwing all these statistics in your face? Is it just to bore you to tears? No, it’s to explain that all of these people have one thing in common, and that’s the need to have an estate plan. Whether you are just starting out in life and beginning to raise a family, or you are enjoying your golden years and grandchildren, having an Anaheim estate plan in place is essential to your peace of mind and the security of your spouse, children and grandchildren.
I’m The Probate Guy, which means I deal primarily with families and estates after someone has passed. I see firsthand how vitally important it is that individuals and families take the time while they are in good health and good financial shape to create a complete estate plan that addresses their needs during their lifetime as well as what should happen to their estate after they are gone. You never know what life will bring, so it’s critical to act now – whatever stage of life you are in – to make sure you have a plan that is valid, practical and up-to-date. Here are some of the reasons you should have an estate plan:
Provide for the Future of Your Family
By creating a Last Will and Testament, you tell the probate court where you want your property to go. Your estate includes all of your separate property plus your one-half of the community property if you’re married. Make gifts to friends, family or a favorite charity. Estate planning will also let you appoint a personal representative (executor) for your estate and name a guardian to take care of your children, should you and your spouse be unavailable. Without taking this precaution, some judge somewhere will put your kids through a courtroom proceeding and place them in the care of a family member you may or may not approve of, or make them a ward of the state.
Avoid the Time and Expense of Probate
Through careful estate planning, you can transfer your property to others through revocable living trusts, life insurance policies, joint bank accounts and other ways to avoid sending that property through probate. Probate can be time-consuming, costly and frustrating without the right kind of help. By planning in advance, you can take items out of your estate, so they never have to be probated.
Make Plans to Deal With Disability
It’s a fact of life that we tend to slow down physically and mentally as we age and become more susceptible to diseases. It’s also a fact that we never know what life will bring, and a disabling condition could strike at any time. Estate planning is about more than just deciding where your property goes after you pass on; it’s just as important to plan how your affairs will be managed if you become incapacitated and who will manage them. Estate planning lets you create powers of attorney, advance healthcare directives and living wills to name people you trust to look after your medical care and finances and let people know how you want the most personal decisions to be handled.
These decisions will be made with or without your input. Take the time now to set up legal documents, so your loved ones aren’t left agonizing over what you want or battling in court among themselves if they disagree with how you or your property should be cared for.
Call The Probate Guy for Advice on Anaheim Estate Planning
For help with estate planning in Anaheim, call The Probate Guy in Buena Park at 714-522-8880 for a free consultation. I’m happy to discuss estate planning strategies with you and let you know how I can help you create or update an estate plan that meets all your needs. I’m here to help, so call me NOW for a FREE consultation!
