WHAT’S NE Watching Kyzlee grow like a weed. She really enjoys being outside on the slide and having picnics.
Whenever the topic of estate planning comes up, people invariably mention creating a will. And with good reason — having a will is a foundational aspect of your estate plan. However, a will is only one small part of effective planning. In fact, if your plan consists of a will alone, you’re guaranteeing your family will have to go to court when you die. There’s a saying in the lawyer world of estate planning: “Where there’s a will, there’s a probate,” and it’s no laughing matter. In our view, a primary goal of estate planning is to keep your family out of court and out of conflict no matter what happens to you. Yet, with only a will in place, your plan can fall woefully short of that goal, leaving your loved ones — and yourself, if you become incapacitated — susceptible to getting stuck in an unnecessary, expensive, time-consuming public court process. RELYING ON A WILL ALONE (PART 1) THE REAL COST TO YOUR FAMILY
Jeff’s enjoying the Nascar races.
Edward’s enthusiastic about what Littlejohn Law has coming for 2020.
intervention, this is not true. For your assets to be legally transferred to your beneficiaries, your will must first pass through the court process called probate. The probate process can be an extremely distressing for your loved ones. The proceedings can drag out over months or even years, and, in most instances, your family will have to hire an attorney, generating hefty legal bills that can quickly drain your estate. Moreover, probate is public, so anyone can find out the value and contents of your estate. They can also learn what and how much your family members inherit, making them tempting targets for frauds and scammers. And, if you think you can just pass on your assets using beneficiary designations to avoid all of this … well, that’s just asking for trouble.
Here’s why having just a will is not enough.
Your family must still go to court.
While you may think having a will allows your loved ones to inherit your assets without court
Part 2, presented next month, will show the other pitfalls of only having a will.
LOCAL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT MAXIMUM POTENTIAL DOG TRAINING
Phone: (740) 632-5227 Website: www.maxpotentialdog.com
Founded by police K-9 handler Rob Cook, Maximum Potential Dog Training offers dog training and rehabilitation services. He offers one-on-one obedience training, board and train packages, and in-home behavior issue consulting. His goal is to help your dog ownership experience reach its MAXIMUM POTENTIAL by helping you improve your relationship with your dog. Give him a call today at (740) 632-5227!
This newsletter is for informational purposes only and no legal advice is intended. Be sure to consult with this law firm if you have a specific question about your situation. And, remember that Edward and Jeff don’t take any unplanned inbound telephone or in-person meetings. We believe each case deserves our undivided attention.
2 | 740-314-4829
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog