OUR PRACTICE AREAS
Wills
Creating a will and ensuring that it is current is important for everyone, regardless of age, marital status and income. If you don’t have a will, you are leaving it up to the courts and legislation to decide who will oversee your Estate and who will be entitled to your assets. Perhaps most importantly, if you have minor children, your will enables you to appoint a guardian to care for them after your death.
Having a proper will in place minimizes the costs and complexity of administering your Estate and gives you the peace of mind of knowing that your family will have the guidance it needs. If you already have a will in place, keep in mind that certain major life events such as a change in marital status, a change in net-worth, or an expanding family are all important times to consider a review of your will to determine if an update is necessary.
At Wills and Estates Law Group, we will sit down with you to ensure that every aspect of your Estate is addressed and your wishes are clearly set out. We can work with you from the Estate Planning stage all the way through to the eventual administration of your Estate.
Powers of Attorney and Representation Agreements
A power of attorney is a legal document that allows you to appoint one or more people to make legal and financial decisions on your behalf. This is a very useful document, whether it be a general Power of Attorney giving broad abilities or limited to a specific purpose such as signing contractual documents while you are out of town.
Having a power of attorney in place is important for everyone so that it is clear who you want to make your legal and financial decisions in the event that you become incapable of doing so yourself. A power of attorney can be revoked or revised at any time while you have capacity.
Representation Agreements are similar legal documents in that they appoint a trusted person or people to make medical decisions on your behalf. Having a representation agreement prepared means that your doctor will know exactly who to speak to for what are often very difficult medical decisions. A representation agreement gives your family important guidance as to your wishes.
Probate and Estate Administration
Estate administration involves the confirmation and distribution of your Estate after your death. Often, this involves application to the courts for probate, which is the process by which the court confirms validity of a will.
At Wills and Estates Law Group we are here to assist with the administration of your Estate and will work with your executor to minimize the tax consequences and costs to your Estate and to ensure that the transfer of assets to your beneficiaries is carried out quickly and smoothly.