Folsom, CA Estate Planning Attorney

Folsom’s Choice For Estate Planning Lawyer

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Estate planning may seem like an emotional and daunting process, but hiring the right Folsom estate planning attorney can make the process much easier, more fulfilling, and more secure. It’s essential to have formal documentation in place that outlines your final wishes and last testament to your loved ones.

Your estate plan should remove uncertainty for your loved ones who must manage your affairs after your death and minimize the chance they will need to undergo the probate process. Your attorney’s job is to help you create the most comprehensive, detailed, and legally enforceable estate plan possible.

Why Should I Work with McCunn Law?

The attorneys at McCunn Law recognize the value of proper estate planning and the security it provides to our clients and their families. We are firmly dedicated to providing responsive and compassionate legal counsel for estate planning that addresses every client’s unique needs. Our firm has more than five decades of practical experience in estate planning in the Folsom area, and Attorney Drummond T. McCunn has successfully handled estate planning cases since 1972.

At McCunn Law, our goal is to prevent you and your loved ones from dealing with unnecessary expense and stress from the probate process by creating a detailed estate plan with as many contingencies as possible. Our firm will provide individualized legal counsel to create an estate plan that suits your particular family circumstances, and we provide our services at a reasonable cost. No matter what financial concerns you might have or what family problems you face, our team has the resources, skill, and experience to guide you through the estate planning process with confidence.

A California Lawyer for Your Family Law Needs You Can Trust

In the case of divorce, death or incapacity, estate planning, or a minor that needs assistance with legal issues, you need an attorney by your side that specializes in family law. For more information, you can explore our FAQ page or contact us online today. We are also available by phone at (916) 773-6100.

Why Do I Need an Attorney?

You might believe you are perfectly capable of forming your own estate plan if your affairs are straightforward. There are many packaged estate planning tools available for you to use online, but these operate on a template basis. You could overlook important options for estate planning that would suit your family better. A Folsom estate planning lawyer, on the other hand, has professional experience handling estate planning on behalf of many clients and can address your specific family needs. They have the experience to navigate the complexities of your case and provide an individually tailored estate plan in much greater detail than you could likely manage on your own.

Hiring an estate planning attorney ensures you have a responsible and reliable legal advocate who can handle the paperwork, research, and drafting processes on your behalf, answering your questions and providing guidance along the way. You can provide your Folsom estate planning attorney with an explanation of your preferences and wishes. They can draft them into an enforceable estate plan, potentially opening up opportunities for additional details and contingencies you may have overlooked on your own.

What Does an Estate Plan Do?

An estate plan is functionally a detailed set of instructions for the estate owner’s family to follow once the estate owner dies. This plan should provide instructions for use in the event of a medical emergency, incapacity, and final life support options. The estate plan should also include comprehensive instructions for handling your financial affairs and how to distribute inheritance gifts to your loved ones. If the estate plan is detailed, comprehensive, and clear in its instructions, then the family could swiftly manage the departed’s affairs and move on to grieve in peace. However, if the deceased had no estate plan, the family must initiate the probate process, and questions of property disbursement and intestate succession will hinge on state law and the discretion of a probate judge.

Probate is notoriously difficult for many reasons. Certain family members may have evidence to counteract claims made in an estate plan or evidence of disqualifying behaviors from beneficiaries named in the plan. State law tends to arrange beneficiary rights based on the closeness of the relationship to the deceased. Still, it is not uncommon for people to form close bonds with extended family members like cousins or second cousins. These individuals could have stronger personal ties to the deceased than the deceased’s own children in some cases, but strict state statutes will not take these personal factors into account. An estate plan ensures your wishes are carried out under your discretion, not a judge’s.

What Will My Estate Plan Include?

There are a few documents that every estate plan should include, but your estate plan should be uniquely tailored to your situation and lifestyle. A Living Will or Advanced Health Care Directive (AHCD) is a good idea for just about anyone. This document outlines your preferences when it comes to life saving medical treatment, life support, palliative care, and end-of-life decisions. If you become unresponsive, the AHCD can instruct your family on how you would like to proceed with medical care.

A standard Will, by comparison, outlines your wishes concerning your property. This document will instruct your family as to who gets what from your possessions. If you want to leave your home to your spouse and children, you will designate this in your Will. If you would like to leave a prized collection to a grandchild, you may designate this as well. Whoever manages your affairs following your death has a legal duty to follow these instructions to the letter.

An experienced Folsom estate planning attorney can help to ensure you have all the necessary elements in your estate plan for a reliable set of end-of-life documents that will be legally enforceable if you become unresponsive or die. Your attorney can also help you establish an estate plan that is more robust than a standard California Estate Plan. A complete estate plan in the state of California must have a Trust if the size of the estate requires it, a standard pour-over Will, an AHCD, and a Durable Power of Attorney for Financial Affairs. These documents can also designate hierarchies of beneficiaries and exclusionary conditions to further clarify the distribution of your assets and property. Supporting documents that can accompany an estate plan might provide specific instructions through an Estate Schedule of Assets, a Certificate of Trust, or a Physician’s Order Life Sustaining Treatment.

Can I Change an Estate Plan Once I’ve Made It?

An estate plan is effectively a dynamic set of legal documents that you may adjust or modify at virtually any time. A Folsom estate planning lawyer can help you reevaluate your existing estate plan and account for recent life changes, such as a marriage, divorce, or the birth of a new child. You can add beneficiaries to your estate plan as your family grows over time, and you can even set additional rules for property disbursement to your beneficiaries. For example, you could create a Revocable Living Trust that safeguards your property with a Trustee while you are still alive. It would include instructions to disburse the contents of your Trust to your children or grandchildren once they reach a certain age.

There are many ways you can modify and customize your estate plan. It’s not uncommon for people to develop standard California Estate Plans and then experience life events that encourage them to edit their current estate plans with supporting documents and alterations. Hiring an experienced Folsom estate planning attorney will help to ensure all of your beneficiary designations align with your accounts and that your estate plan is as detailed and enforceable as possible.

Find Your Folsom Estate Planning Attorney Today

It’s never too early or too late to start planning your end-of-life documents. Once you have a solid estate plan in place, you can rest assured that your loved ones can avoid a lengthy and stressful probate process and move on more peacefully after your death.

At McCunn Law, we provide responsive and compassionate legal representation for the estate planning process in California. If you are ready to meet with a Folsom estate planning attorney and create your Will, Living Will, Revocable Living Trust, or a combination of these documents for the most robust estate plan possible, we can help. Contact McCunn Law today to learn more about how our firm can assist in planning your estate.

Legal Assistance

The best time to seek legal assistance is when disputes are still only minor agreements. This gives either party the time to re-evaluate their actions and determine the next move without breaking the law or acting unfairly. Consulting with an attorney can provide the information they need to steer them down the right path. In some instances, clients ask us to mediate a dispute between landlord and tenant, so both parties can come to an agreement without the need for battling it out in a courtroom.

If you are a landlord or a tenant who believes your rights have been breached or you have been accused and your business or reputation is on the line, turn to McCunn Law. We help our clients to navigate even the most complex legal issues to arrive at the best solutions possible. Contact us today at 916-827-3427.

“McCunn Law is a high-quality and highly knowledgeable legal team. I went into a consultation regarding child custody and was extremely happy with the plan and ultimately the results of my case. They create a plan with the client’s needs and wants in mind. Drummond is also great working with regarding what kind of budget a client would be able to afford. If I have any more legal needs in the future this is the office I will use every time.”

Megan P.

“McCunn Law is a high-quality and highly knowledgeable legal team. I went into a consultation regarding child custody and was extremely happy with the plan and ultimately the results of my case. They create a plan with the client’s needs and wants in mind. Drummond is also great working with regarding what kind of budget a client would be able to afford. If I have any more legal needs in the future this is the office I will use every time.”

Megan P.

“McCunn Law is a high-quality and highly knowledgeable legal team. I went into a consultation regarding child custody and was extremely happy with the plan and ultimately the results of my case. They create a plan with the client’s needs and wants in mind. Drummond is also great working with regarding what kind of budget a client would be able to afford. If I have any more legal needs in the future this is the office I will use every time.”

Megan P.