Secure Your Legacy With Our Thoughtful Estate Planning Attorneys
Planning for the future is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your loved ones and ensure your wishes are honored. At Barnholtz & Kugler, we provide comprehensive estate planning services tailored to your unique needs and goals.
Whether you’re looking to create a will, establish a trust, or plan for incapacity, our experienced attorneys are here to walk you through every step of the process. We’ll provide experienced guidance, a personalized approach, compassionate service, and comprehensive planning.
Estate planning is not just for the wealthy. It’s for anyone who wants to ensure their loved ones are taken care of and their wishes are followed. Don’t leave these critical decisions to chance. Our passionate Valencia estate planning lawyers are here to help you take control of your future.
Our Estate Planning Services
Our skilled attorneys have over 40 years of combined experience. They know the estate planning and administration process, and they’re ethical and moral in handling each and every situation.
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Not necessarily. A will is an important piece to any estate plan. But keep in mind that a will only helps you distribute your assets.
There are many other situations that you should prepare for with an effective estate plan. For example, powers of attorney give a trusted agent decision-making power when you’re no longer able to make your own decisions.
Further, depending on your assets, your estate plan may require a trust.
Our lawyers can help analyze your situation and help you explore every tool available to ensure you’re well-protected in the years to come.
California has a specific set of guidelines as to how assets will be distributed after a loved one dies without a will. This is referred to as “intestate succession,” and please note that intestate succession laws may not align with your wishes.
This is why it’s so critical to draft a will so that you can directly control who receives your assets upon you passing.
We advise that you should think of your estate plan as one of objectives and wishes. Your plan should focus on the unique needs and objectives for yourself and your intended heirs and beneficiaries. As your estate planning attorneys, we’ll advise on and help design the plan that best fulfills your needs and objectives.
With that said, some of the most common estate planning documents include:
- Wills
- Trusts
- Community property agreements
- Powers of attorney
- Advance healthcare directives (or, living wills)
These documents help ensure that your wishes are carried out and your loved ones are provided for in the event of your incapacity or death.
You should review and update your estate plan regularly, especially after major life events such as marriage, divorce, birth or adoption of a child, or a significant change in financial circumstances.
It’s also a good idea to review your estate plan every few years to ensure it still reflects your wishes and is current with changes in the law. We suggest an estate plan review no later than every five years.
Of course. You can make changes to your estate plan at any time by executing a codicil to your will or an amendment to your trust, assuming you have the legal capacity to do so.
It’s important to work with an experienced estate planning attorney to ensure that any changes you make are legally valid and properly executed.
A power of attorney is a document that is created to give another person the legal authority to act on your behalf.
To prevent unnecessary control over too many aspects of a person’s life, there are certain powers of attorney that can be created to limit this authority to one specific area.
For example, a healthcare power of attorney can allow a family member to make decisions regarding your treatment and care, while another power of attorney could allow a trusted partner to manage your business affairs.
Also note that a power of attorney can go into effect upon execution of the document, or it can only go into effect if you become legally incapacitated.