Cleburne Estate Planning Attorney

At any point in your life, you may find yourself pondering what will occur after you’ve passed or if you become indisposed by an unexpected accident or illness. If you’re beginning to anticipate or worry about the future of your relatives and children or about your business, real estate, or other assets and finances, consulting with a Cleburne estate planning attorney can help put your mind at ease.

At The Law Firm of William A. Walsh, my approach to legal matters includes treating clients with respect by providing counsel that is straightforward, transparent, and honest. Get in touch with a Christian asset lawyer who’s deeply knowledgeable and experienced in the areas of family law and estate planning. Over many years of experience, I’ve built a strong reputation in the community.

An estate planning or asset attorney is a law professional who helps individuals create legally binding documents that address many important issues regarding their wishes and directions in the event of their death or incapacitation. Typically, the estate planning process begins when a person is still cognizant but preparing in advance.

These outlined directives can pertain to the individual’s end-of-life healthcare and/or naming someone who will make medical decisions in their stead if they are unable to. They can also determine how to handle the person’s finances, assets, and properties after their death. For example, estate planning may involve deciding who your beneficiaries are and who will be the executor of your will and manage your estate. You may also choose to appoint a guardian to care for your young children.

This is known as an estate plan, and it will naturally look different for every case, depending on the details of your life. An attorney who assists clients with estate planning can ensure you don’t conduct the extensive process of estate planning by yourself and provide the peace of mind that your important life documents are legally sound, clear, and thorough.

Choosing to begin building an estate plan has many benefits, such as a streamlined asset distribution process for your family after your death. This can avoid contention in the asset distribution process, as well as ensure that the protection of your children is in accordance with your wishes in the event of your sudden demise.

Estate planning also prevents your loved ones from having to deal with the process of probate as they are actively grieving and gives you control over the allotting of your estate assets, such as how you want your businesses or real estate to be divided amongst family members.

Without an estate plan in place, the important issues concerning your estate, dependents, and wishes following your passing are left up to the court, which possesses limited knowledge of your family dynamics and other important nuances.

Estate planning doesn’t have a standard cost or set figure due to the fact that what a client wants to include in their estate plan can vary from case to case. The documents someone may wish to include and address during the estate planning process will depend on various influencing factors; these may include their financial standing and amount of assets, what point they are at in their lives (e.g., age, health, etc.), and what their goals are for the outcome of their estate plan.

A thorough estate plan in Cleburne may entail attending to several matters, like beneficiary designations or the individual drafting of various important documents. Documents may include a written will and testament, a revocable living trust, power of attorney, and a medical directive.

The completed process of exhaustive estate planning can range in cost but will likely add up to a considerable amount. The costs will depend on how complex the client’s estate is and the estate planning lawyer’s experience. A lawyer with more experience will understandably cost more.

It is also possible to have a single document prepared one at a time, which will likely cost less. You could also have previous estate planning documents reviewed after a major life change has occurred or after some years have passed in order to amend the terms. Document reviewing and updating may also vary in cost, depending on similar factors.

These are the most common and important documents that are handled in the estate planning process:

• Last will and testament. Wills allow anyone to create a plan for after their death that outlines their wishes as far as how their finances, properties, and other assets will be distributed.
  
  This document also lets you name someone to take care of your minor children and assign someone to allocate your estate for you.
  
  
• Trusts. A living trust can be amended over time as you see fit and will only go into effect after you have passed. Trusts also exempt your loved ones from going through the process of probate.
  
  The terms will be carried out by a person/people of your choosing, called trustees, who manage and are responsible for the administration of assets, like distribution to beneficiaries.
  
  
• Power of attorney. A power of attorney document imbues a trusted individual appointed by you with the legal ability to make important decisions on your behalf in the event you are no longer able to, whether due to infirmity, memory loss, etc.
  
  If you do not select someone to have power of attorney, the court is able to assign someone should you be determined to need one.
  
  
• Advance directive/medical power of attorney. An advance directive is similar to power of attorney in that it designates an entrusted person to make important decisions in your stead.
  
  The difference is that the relevant issues concern the management of your healthcare, particularly ones regarding your expressed or supposed wishes about end-of-life matters.

I, William A. Walsh, am prepared to handle your estate planning through the entirety of the legal process, no matter how complex your assets or estate are. As a qualified estate planning lawyer, I can give you the peace of mind and resources you need. Reach out today to begin creating an estate plan that will make you feel secure in the future of your family and property.