A well-developed estate plan can help to alleviate emotional stress, financial costs and family discord. Death is an undeniable and inescapable truth that all of us will one day face, but the fact of death does not have to tear apart our families, our finances or our businesses.
At Richardson Legal Services, we can develop that Estate Plan that will allow you to feel confident that your testamentary wishes will be known and followed. Your family will be taken care of in the manner that you plan, not in a contrary manner or by the law of intestate succession.
Moreover, with an Estate Plan developed by Richardson Legal Services, we look at the entire plan to include disability planning and special needs planning. With every Will, clients also receive a Durable Power of Attorney, which allows you to appoint an agent to handle all of your property and financial matters if you are unable to do so. You also receive a Healthcare Power of Attorney, which allows you to appoint an agent to handle to your medical decision-making, if you are unable to make decisions for yourself. Part of the Healthcare Power of Attorney is also the Living Will. The Living Will states how you want to be treated at the end of your life when you are unable to speak for yourself. Lastly, clients receive a HIPAA authorization waiver that allows you to give permission to your agent or whomever you choose to receive information about your medical past from your doctors or hospitals.
These are the basic documents in an Estate Plan. If needed, a revocable Living Trust can be added to the Estate Plan. Other documents that can be part of an Estate Plan are:
- Irrevocable Trusts
- Special needs Trusts
- Support or Special Purpose Trusts like an Education Trust
- Acknowledgment of Advancements
- Tax Planning and Portability
- Property Trusts
- Limited Liability Company or Family Limited Partnerships
- And many others
Probate:
The system for probating a Will in Georgia is not complex or costly, but is not necessarily something you want to do alone. At Richardson Legal Services, we know the best way to handle an Estate to ensure that the beneficiaries and/or heirs are taken care of. We also know how to file documents to protect the estate for the benefit of a surviving spouse and minor children. Let us help you at a time when you and your family are coping with the difficulties of grief and loss.