You’re certainly not required to create an estate plan for yourself, but, when you don’t, you leave everything in the hands of the courts. This means a judge who is unfamiliar with your situation will decide how your estate is to be settled. You can avoid this possibility by engaging an estate attorney in Jacksonville, FL.
Choose a Guardian For Minor Children
While there are many documents that can help settle your estate after your death, the most important among them remains the will. This is the only place for you to choose a legal guardian for any minor children you leave behind. If you don’t choose a guardian, one will be chosen by the courts. This could leave your children in the care of someone you wouldn’t have trusted.
Protect Your Assets
In addition to a will, your attorney can help you set up a living trust. This type of document is private and allows you to automatically transfer the ownership of certain assets to a trustee. This means those assets won’t go through the probate process. Your trustee can take ownership of the assets much sooner as a result.
Leave a Letter of Instruction
An estate attorney in Jacksonville, FL, can also help you include a Letter of Instruction in your estate plans. This is simply a confidential letter you leave to your loved ones that provides final instructions. It can include your usernames and passwords for your online accounts, provide information about specific assets, or include any personal information you want to impart to a spouse or children.
When you’re ready to start an estate plan, schedule a consultation with Business Name visiting their website at Business url.
