Your estate includes all your assets, both financial and non-financial, from houses to smaller personal items. It’s everything you own—everything you’ve worked so hard to accumulate in your lifetime. Distributing an estate after you die can be straightforward. However, the quick, complete, and hassle-free distribution of your estate hinges on the quality of your estate plan.
Estate planning is the process of leaving clear instructions as to what will happen to you and your assets when you pass. It can also relay your wishes regarding medical and financial decisions should you become incapacitated, care of minor children, and more. It serves as your voice when you aren’t around or able to make your wishes known.
Without an estate plan, your loved ones—or the court—will be left to decide how your estate will be handled. That can lead to indecision about healthcare, cause unnecessary stress, arguments among family, and financial problems. It can also result in money from your estate being wasted on expensive probate court processes or, in some cases, assets being seized by the State Department of Unclaimed Property.
On the other hand, careful estate planning serves to streamline the distribution process, make things easier on your loved ones, and minimizes the estate tax paid by your family, ensuring more of the legacy you leave behind goes where it belongs.
Contrary to popular belief, estate planning is not about documents! It is about working with a skilled and empathetic attorney who delves deeply into your family and asset situation, uncovering any relevant family dynamics along the way. That attorney should then guide you through the process of creating a plan that will leave a legacy in the way that is right for your family. Every family is different; there is no one size fits all plan.
With that being said, documents are of course important and are the byproduct of the planning that we do. While the exact documents that comprise your estate plan will be unique to your financial situation, priorities and family dynamics, they may include a:
You’ve worked a lifetime to build your estate. Careful estate planning is the best way to guarantee it goes to your loved ones as intended. At Weiner Law, we create wills and trusts that protect estates in San Diego and elsewhere in California financially and legally. You can trust us to help you craft an estate plan that will ensure your wishes are carried out.
Weiner Law
12707 High Bluff Drive Ste. 125
San Diego CA, 92130
(858) 333-8844
