By preparing basic documents, we assist clients in planning for future contingencies such as incapacity and death. For an individual with a moderately sized estate, basic planning could involve:
- Simple wills
- Outright marital gifts
- Outright gifts to children
- Trusts for children
- Ancillary documents
- Durable or general powers of attorney
- Medical powers of attorney
- Living wills (advance medical directives)
- Determining a guardian for children
While no law requires the use of an attorney in estate planning there are good reasons to do so. Generic will or trust forms cannot address all desires and wishes a person may want to achieve and, at the same time, comply with the legal requirements of their state of domicile. In the end, a hastily crafted will or trust may prove to be more expensive than initially consulting a lawyer.
