Estate Planning Attorneys Assisting Clients with Estate Planning in Conway, AR, and Surrounding Areas
You’ve worked hard all of your life to have the things you have. Protecting your assets by carefully planning your estate will ensure that all of your hard work doesn’t go to waste. The word “estate” can put you in mind of mansions and huge investment portfolios, but the word actually means “everything you own.” Estate planning is just as important for people of modest means as it is for millionaires. Having a well-constructed and legally-enforceable estate plan can ensure not only that your worldly possessions and assets go to the people you choose but also that you have someone to look out for your best interests should you become incapacitated and unable to speak or act for yourself.
Contact Dudeck Law Firm today at 501-327-3527 to speak to one of our skilled attorneys and protect your family.
What Documents Are Necessary to a Good Estate Plan?
Every situation is different, of course, but there are a few documents that everyone should have in their estate plan to ensure that things go smoothly:
- Wills and Trusts: Your will designates who your beneficiaries will be: that is to say, who will receive part or all of your assets and property when you pass away. Trusts can be set up in any number of ways to hold assets for your beneficiaries and distribute them as you designate.
- Durable Power of Attorney: This is a document that allows you to name another person to make your financial and legal decisions should you be unable to make them yourself.
- Health Care Power of Attorney: This document allows a person you name to make medical decisions for you in case you are unable to make them for yourself.
- Beneficiary Designation: This document names the people who will inherit your assets. It ensures that assets that are not covered by your will go to the people you choose to receive them.
- Letter of Intent: If you have specific wishes with regard to certain assets or property, you may write a letter of intent to the executor of your estate to make your wishes known and clear.
- Guardianship Designation: If you have children, your estate documents should include a designation of the person(s) you would like to be their guardian, should both parents become incapacitated or die before they reach adulthood.
What Happens if I Die Without a Will in Arkansas?
If you die without a will in Arkansas, the probate court will determine who is in charge of the distribution of your money and property—usually family members. Dying without a will means that you have given up the right to determine where your assets will go in the event of your death.
Do I Need a Lawyer to Plan My Estate?
While there are a lot of websites that advertise low-cost, do-it-yourself estate planning, simply printing out documents and filling them out without the advice and counsel of an experienced Arkansas estate planning attorney can have disastrous results. A skilled and knowledgeable probate attorney can ensure that everything in your estate plan is correct, legal, and enforceable.
Why Should I Hire Dudeck Law Firm?
At Dudeck Law Firm, we have the experience and the knowledge to help you plan for your future and provide for your family should the worst happen. We have years of education and experience and can craft an estate plan that fits you and your circumstances.
Contact our firm today at 501-327-3527 to find the peace of mind of knowing you have done what’s necessary to protect your property, your family, and your years of hard work.