Although some people believe estate planning is only for the elderly, the reality is that any adult can benefit from having an estate plan. You never know what tomorrow may bring, and understanding how wills, trusts, and probate could impact your loved ones after your passing is important. Our lawyers in The Villages can guide you through this emotional yet critical process.
If you want to create an estate plan, let our team help. The Villages estate planning lawyers from Bogin, Munns & Munns could provide you with clear guidance on planning for the future. Call today for a consultation with a firm dedicated to treating clients with respect, dignity, and fairness.
How Our Estate Planning Attorneys in The Villages Can Help You
Bogin, Munns & Munns employs experts in a wide range of legal fields under one roof. That means you can hire our firm and have all of your estate planning and probate needs taken care of by members of our team. Our The Villages wills, trusts, and probate lawyers offer the following services:
Avoid Probate to Make Life Easier for Your Beneficiaries
For many people, the ultimate goal of an estate plan is avoiding probate. Probate is a court process designed to divide your assets following your death. Going through probate can be both costly and time-consuming for your loved ones.
Thankfully, our wills, trusts, and probate law firm serving The Villages could help you develop an estate plan that avoids probate.
The probate process can take months or even years, and documentation of the process becomes public record. If your family members value privacy, avoiding probate could be the best option.
Represent You at Probate Court
If your loved one has passed away, ensuring that their debts are paid and their assets distributed properly can be a long process made more difficult by the emotional and technical challenges involved. This is especially true if they had no will or if there is disagreement over their final wishes.
Our probate attorneys can represent you to the Sumter County Clerk of the Court or the Marion County Clerk of Court and work closely with your family to:
- Make sure you get what you are entitled to
- Carry out your loved one’s final wishes as you understand them
- Distribute assets in accordance with your loved one’s wishes and state laws
- Spare you from having to represent yourself in such a stressful environment
- Work with other beneficiaries and help everyone come to a satisfactory agreement
- Provide legal advice regarding everything you need to know about the terms of the will, estate taxes, what happens when someone dies intestate, and any other topic that is relevant to your situation
Draft a Will to Highlight Your Final Wishes
A last will and testament is the basic building block of most estate plans. While many people associate a will only with distributing property after your death, it can also represent your interests in other ways. For starters, your will could identify:
- Your chosen executor for your estate. This person will be charged with overseeing the process of dividing your assets.
- Your chosen guardian for your minor children if you pass away before they reach age 18.
- The beneficiaries of your estate. It directs what assets each beneficiary is entitled to and any conditions you want to place on their ability to receive their inheritance.
Our estate planning lawyers can make sure that your last will and testament accurately reflects how you want your wealth distributed following your passing. Your will could also work in conjunction with a trust to help your loved ones avoid the probate process.
Create a Trust to Provide a Smooth Transfer of Wealth
Trusts are useful tools that could provide a smooth transition for your family after your passing. These legal entities hold your assets and transfer those assets immediately upon your death without the need for probate. Trusts also have potential tax benefits for you and your heirs.
Trusts are either revocable or irrevocable. You can alter the terms or beneficiaries of a revocable trust whenever you want during your lifetime. Changes to an irrevocable trust are much more complicated and typically require court intervention.
There are pros and cons to the different types of trusts. The estate attorneys at Bogin, Munns & Munns can explain them to you so you can make the right decision for your family.
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Plan for Your Long-Term Care With Assistance from Our Lawyers in The Villages
Estate planning primarily focuses on what happens to your property and assets after you pass away. However, you will also make decisions in your estate plan that can impact your life when you are most vulnerable.
Various estate planning documents can ensure your wishes are adhered to if you cannot make your own decisions about medical care (for example, if you are unconscious or in a coma).
Our Lawyers Can Draft a Living Will
The Villages wills, trusts, and probate attorneys from our firm could help you develop a living will. A living will is a legal document that describes your preferences regarding end-of-life treatment.
If you cannot make these decisions yourself, your living will could inform doctors of your view on certain interventions, like feeding tubes or life support. These documents may also include your preferences regarding blood transfusions or organ donation.
Bogin, Munns & Munns could also prepare a designation of healthcare surrogate. According to University of Florida Health, this document appoints someone to make important medical decisions on your behalf. Also known as a healthcare proxy, this individual will have the final say on treatment when you cannot make those decisions independently.
Let Our Team in the Villages Protect Your Future
Call now to start your estate plan with Bogin, Munns & Munns. Our law firm can stay in frequent communication with you through the legal process, whether you are drafting documents or settling a loved one’s estate in probate court.
Who Needs an Estate Plan in The Villages?
Anyone can benefit from having an estate plan, but for some, the need is more pressing than others. Additionally, you should review your plan with our estate planning attorneys in The Villages after any major life event. Some of the best times to create or revise an estate plan include:
- After a wedding or divorce
- Following the birth or adoption of a child
- Diagnosis of a terminal illness
- Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or dementia
- Death, major illness, or injury of a loved one
Life can change, and your priorities can change with it. If you do not update your beneficiary information, your valuable belongings and assets could go to someone you wish they had not. Let our wills, trusts, and probate attorneys make sure your affairs are settled as you want them to be.
The Villages Wills, Trusts and Probate Lawyer Near Me
855-780-9986
Talk to Our Attorneys in The Villages About Wills, Trusts, and the Probate Process
If you are considering an estate plan, you do not have to do so alone. Relying on legal counsel could help ensure that your property is divided according to your final wishes. Our attorneys in The Villages could rely on our knowledge of all aspects of estate planning to ensure your needs are met.
With the guidance of The Villages wills, trusts, and probate lawyers from Bogin, Munns & Munns, you could develop a plan that meets your needs and provides you with peace of mind. Reach out as soon as possible for your initial consultation.
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