199 Figueroa Street, 3rd Floor, Ventura, CA 93001 Telephone: 805.653.6145 Facsimile: 805.643.1094
Let your loved ones know your health care preferences
An important part of your plan should designate someone to make health care decisions for you in the event that you become unable to do so for yourself. You should make clear your wishes about life-support and other health care issues.
No matter your net worth,
it's important to have a basic estate plan in place to ensure that your family and financial goals are met if you become incapacitated and after you die.
Also, death can create uncertainty. By being clear about your intentions, you help prevent conflicts after you're gone.
Personalized to meet your needs & wishes
Avoid these common estate planning mistakes
Creating A Will From An Online Form. Drafting Wills, Trusts and other estate planning documents is the practice of law. Online or fill-in-the-blank forms cannot meet your needs when they are not properly completed. In fact, most people fill them out incorrectly, creating unintended consequences.
Having Only A Will. While important, a Will is not an estate plan. The Will is just one piece to every estate plan. A good estate plan should also include, at a minimum, Durable
Powers of Attorney, Heath Care Proxies, Living Wills,
and tax and Probate analysis.
Not Having A Durable Power Of Attorney. If you become disabled and cannot attend to your financial matters a Durable Power of Attorney is essential to give someone the authority to act on your behalf and avoiding a court conservatorship.
Not having An Advance Health Care Directive. Some people assume that because they have a Living Trust they do not need an Advanced Health Care Directive. This assumption is wrong. An Advanced Health Care Directive gives someone the authority to act for you and gives directions to your physician if you are in a terminal, end stage, and/or are unable to make medical decisions for yourself.
Not Working With An Experienced Attorney. With so much riding on your estate plan, you and your family cannot afford to make a mistake which may end up being devastating. An attorney who focuses on estate planning is the only person who can properly guide you to ensure peace of mind that comes with a properly executed estate plan.