Los Angeles Trust Attorney

Susan B. Geffen has helped hundreds of families with their estate planning. Many people erroneously believe that wills and trusts are only for the wealthy with large estates in Beverly Hills. If you own a home, have children and have a checking and/or savings account, wills and trusts allow you to leave your assets to whomever you choose in the most advantageous manner possible. Susan can explain how this works and help you create the most effective estate plan for your family and future.

Will Preparation Lawyer in Redondo Beach

Most California estate plans include several basic elements that allow you to record the final directives for handling your estate, including who will receive what assets and how they are to receive them. These common estate planning elements include the legal components below.

Will

A will is a legal document that is used to give instructions concerning your estate after you have passed away. This important tool provides legal backing to ensure that your wishes are carried out. Some common things included in a will include:

• Naming an Executor for Your Estate
• Naming Beneficiaries to Receive Your Assets
• Distributing Assets Among Your Beneficiaries
• Naming a Guardian/Conservator for Dependent Children or Adults
• Giving Instructions Regarding the Administration of Trusts

Trusts

Trusts are legal instruments that you can use to leave assets to your beneficiaries without going through the probate process. Trusts can be structured to benefit certain parties while protecting the assets from seizure by debtors and undue taxation. There are many types of trusts to address different needs, including:

• Revocable Trusts
• Irrevocable Trusts
• Special Needs Trusts
• Asset Protection Trusts
• California Land Trusts
• Offshore Asset Trusts
• Charitable/Non-Profit Trusts

Powers of Attorney

When you create a power of attorney, you designate a trusted individual to make medical and financial decisions for you in case you become unable to make those decisions for yourself. Often, spouses name each other in powers of attorney.

Advance Health Care Directives

Also called a “living will,” an advance health care directive gives instructions for your family and doctor to follow in case you ever fall into a persistent vegetative state or other situation where you are unable to make your own health care decisions. It lets your physician, family and friends know your health care preferences, including the types of special treatment you want or don’t want at the end of life, your desire for diagnostic testing, surgical procedures, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and organ donation.

Effective Los Angeles Estate Planning

Susan B. Geffen has over 30 years of experience helping Los Angeles residents with their estate planning. The basic measures above are the absolute minimum you should have in your estate plan in order to protect your assets and preserve them for your loved ones. There are also other measures you can include for various matters, including:

• Trust Administration
• Business Succession Planning
• Health Care Power of Attorney
• Tax Planning

Susan has the knowledge and skills to create an estate plan that is tailored to your specific needs and wishes, and legally solid to withstand any challenges. She can also help you update an existing estate plan when your life circumstances require changes. You should review your estate plan at least once a year to ensure it is up to date with your current circumstances and wishes.

Contact Susan Geffen at her legal office in Los Angeles for seasoned and effective assistance with creating or updating your estate plan in California.