How to Select an Estate Planning Attorney - Legacy Assurance Plan of America
When many people begin to create an estate plan, they often give considerable thought to how they will distribute their assets, but there is another aspect of your estate plan that also deserves close attention and careful decision-making: selecting the people who will speak for you (or your estate) after you cannot speak for yourself.
Many of your estate planning documents contain provisions in which they name someone who will speak for you when you cannot. Your will names someone to serve as your executor, who will handle distributing all of your probate assets after you die. Your living trust appoints your successor trustee, who has a multi-faceted role. Your successor trustee, like an executor, may be called to distribute assets (in this case, your trust assets) after you die, but may also take over managing the affairs of your trust while you're alive if you become mentally incapacitated. Your powers of attorney create agents to manage your affairs and your living will names someone who will speak for you regarding end-of-life medical treatment. In each of these documents, you may appoint one person or a group of people to carry out these duties, and you may name the same or different people in each document.
When many people begin to create an estate plan, they often give considerable thought to how they will distribute their assets, but there is another aspect of your estate plan that also deserves close attention and careful decision-making: selecting the people who will speak for you (or your estate) after you cannot speak for yourself.
Many of your estate planning documents contain provisions in which they name someone who will speak for you when you cannot. Your will names someone to serve as your executor, who will handle distributing all of your probate assets after you die. Your living trust appoints your successor trustee, who has a multi-faceted role. Your successor trustee, like an executor, may be called to distribute assets (in this case, your trust assets) after you die, but may also take over managing the affairs of your trust while you're alive if you become mentally incapacitated. Your powers of attorney create agents to manage your affairs and your living will names someone who will speak for you regarding end-of-life medical treatment. In each of these documents, you may appoint one person or a group of people to carry out these duties, and you may name the same or different people in each document.
For all of your appointments, you should select people whom you trust completely. Beyond that, though, each of the roles has unique responsibilities that may benefit from matching it to someone with a particular set of skills or abilities. With your agent under your financial power of attorney, you might want to consider someone experienced or skilled at handling money and financial accounts. For your executor, your estate might benefit from having someone with business savvy who has familiarity with both financial matters and with hiring professionals (such as probate lawyers) to assist your estate.
Your living will involves a very different assessment, especially if your preferences involve the discontinuation of life-extending medical care. The person you choose for this task may have to make emotionally painful decisions, as he/she may have to give the order to end the treatment that is keeping you alive. You should pick a person who has the emotional strength not only to make those decisions, but (in some cases) to fight for the outcome preference you've spelled out in your estate plan.
Your living will involves a very different assessment, especially if your preferences involve the discontinuation of life-extending medical care. The person you choose for this task may have to make emotionally painful decisions, as he/she may have to give the order to end the treatment that is keeping you alive. You should pick a person who has the emotional strength not only to make those decisions, but (in some cases) to fight for the outcome preference you've spelled out in your estate plan.
For all of your appointments, you should select people whom you trust completely. Beyond that, though, each of the roles has unique responsibilities that may benefit from matching it to someone with a particular set of skills or abilities. With your agent under your financial power of attorney, you might want to consider someone experienced or skilled at handling money and financial accounts. For your executor, your estate might benefit from having someone with business savvy who has familiarity with both financial matters and with hiring professionals (such as probate lawyers) to assist your estate.
Your living will involves a very different assessment, especially if your preferences involve the discontinuation of life-extending medical care. The person you choose for this task may have to make emotionally painful decisions, as he/she may have to give the order to end the treatment that is keeping you alive. You should pick a person who has the emotional strength not only to make those decisions, but (in some cases) to fight for the outcome preference you've spelled out in your estate plan.
Conclusion: Selecting a qualified estate planning attorney is important.Have some basic questions ready to ask when hiring Legacy Assurance Plan Of America for an estate planning attorney
Your living will involves a very different assessment, especially if your preferences involve the discontinuation of life-extending medical care. The person you choose for this task may have to make emotionally painful decisions, as he/she may have to give the order to end the treatment that is keeping you alive. You should pick a person who has the emotional strength not only to make those decisions, but (in some cases) to fight for the outcome preference you've spelled out in your estate plan.
Conclusion: Selecting a qualified estate planning attorney is important.Have some basic questions ready to ask when hiring Legacy Assurance Plan Of America for an estate planning attorney