Estate documents designed to work together.
Straightforward planning for disposition of assets, incapacity, health-care decisions, and beneficiary coordination.
Core estate-planning documents
A useful estate plan is more than a will. The documents should fit the client’s family structure, property ownership, beneficiary designations, and preferences if someone else must make financial or health-care decisions.
Planning Documents
- Last will and testament
- Financial power of attorney
- Advance directive / health-care planning
- Personal representative and agent designations
Related Planning
- Beneficiary-designation coordination
- Real-property planning
- Life-estate deed considerations
- Review of how assets pass outside probate
Keep the plan understandable
Many clients need a well-coordinated plan without unnecessary complexity. The drafting process should make clear who receives property, who can act during incapacity, who handles the estate, and how jointly owned or beneficiary-designated assets fit into the overall plan.
Common questions
Do I need more than a will?
Often, yes. A will addresses probate assets at death, while powers of attorney, advance directives, jointly titled assets, and beneficiary designations address different issues.
Can beneficiary designations override a will?
Assets that pass by a valid beneficiary designation generally pass under that designation rather than under the will. Coordination is therefore important.
Should a deed be part of the plan?
Sometimes. A deed can have significant legal, tax, title, creditor, and long-term-care consequences, so it should be evaluated in the context of the overall plan.