- Do you have a will?
- If the gross value of your assets ( including your house, jewellery, Car, the value of your business ) is over $150,000.00, do you have a living trust?
- Have you appointed a legal guardian for your minor kids if you were to die?
- Have you appointed a person to take care of your pets if you were to die?
- Have you authorized someone to manage your financial matter in case you become disabled?
- Do you have advance health care directives to appoint your agent?
- Have you prepared the health care directives for the end of the life decisions?
If you have answered no to any of the questions above, you DO need the Estate Planning.
What is Estate Planning?
Estate planning is a process. It involves people — your family, other individuals and, in many cases, charitable organizations of your choice. It also affects your assets (your property) and the various forms of ownership and title that those assets may take. And it addresses your future needs in case you ever become unable to care for yourself. Through estate planning, you can determine:
=> How and by whom your assets will be managed for your benefit during your life if you ever become unable to manage them yourself.
=> When and under what circumstances it makes sense to distribute your assets during your lifetime.
=> How and to whom your assets will be distributed after your death.
=> How and by whom your care will be managed and how health care decisions will be made during your lifetime if you become unable to care for yourself.
Many people mistakenly think that estate planning only involves the writing of a will. Estate planning, however, can also involve financial, tax, medical and business planning. A will is part of the planning process, but you will need other documents to address your estate planning needs fully.
The purpose of this pamphlet is to summarize the estate planning process and illustrate how it can help you meet your goals and objectives. You will discover that estate planning is a dynamic process. As people, assets, and laws change, adjusting your estate plan to reflect those changes may be necessary.
Source ( State Bar of California)
How to Do the Estate Planning in California?
The first step to do Estate planning is Planning the life Goals. Our Experience Attorney will help to explain the meaning and effect of various legal jargons.
The second step is the preparation of required legal documents to implement that planning. The most common set of paper to implement Estate Planning involves the following documents :
1.Living Trust – Revocable
2.Financial Power of Attorneys
3.Durable Power of Attorneys
4.Will / Pour-Over Will
5.Health Care Directives
The final step is the execution of those documents. The execution of documents gives the legal effect to a particular document. It involves the signature and Notarization of records. In few cases, the recording of the document is also required for proper execution.
