Estate Planning
The Lawyers at The Law Offices of Charles D. Scott have been providing estate planning attorney services since 1997. Our estate planning documents have been developed and refined to address our clients needs from basic estate planning tools, to advanced estate planning such as revocable living trusts.
The basic estate planning tools include: a Will, a Living Will, a Health Care Surrogage or Health Care Power of Attorney, and a Durable Power of Attorney.
These basic estate planning documents provide necessary protection for most individuals. These documents will assure that your estate is passed on to your heirs as you desire, allow for a trusted family member to make financial and health care decisions for you if you are unable, and allow you to express your wishes with regard to being kept alive by artificial means or by machines.
Most people have seen the news, and heard about the court battles that arise when a family member is in a vegetative state and failed to plan ahead by preparing appropriate and necessary health care guardians, and fights between competing guardians, all of which could have been avoided.
Failure to prepare a will may result in your assets being awarded to someone other than the loved ones you thought would receive your estate. Even if you have a will, there can be ensuing will contests between family members that could have been avoided if the will was drafted properly.
ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEY CONSULTATIONS
During your free estate planning consultation, we will review your current and future estate planning needs, and determine what type of estate plan best suits your needs. Our basic estate planning package will serve the needs of most clients. We will provide witnesses and a notary to witness your signing of these documents, and we will store copies of your documents at our offices.
Unlike other law firms, we provide you the original documents for safekeeping. Some law firms insist upon retaining your original documents so that your family members are forced to come back to that law firm and pay for additional services such as probate. We feel that it should be your decision who keeps your original documents, and where your family members choose to go in the event of your death. As such we maintain back printed and electronic copies of your documents in our office, and will provide them to your designated personal representative upon request.
You should be aware that any changes to your estate planning documents must be witnessed, notarized, and completed with the same formality as the original documents. Because your documents are also maintained electronically on our computer system, we can easily and cost effectively provide you with updates or revisions to your estate planning documents in the future as your needs arise, including witnessing and notarizing the revised documents.
Call today and schedule your free estate planning consultation. You will meet with a lawyer and discuss your estate planning needs during a free no obligation, thirty minute consultation.