California Estate Planning Attorney

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California Estate Planning Attorney
California Estate Planning Attorney

Estate Planning Lawyer in California

Ensuring that your loved ones are taken care of when you die is something that concerns everyone. Whether you have an extensive estate or a few meaningful belongings, you want to guarantee that they go to the correct people. Estate planning is the most effective way to make sure this happens. There are many different options available for estate planning, from living wills to various types of trusts. A California estate planning attorney can walk you through the entire process and make sure that your final wishes are carried out.

What Is Estate Planning?

Estate planning is the process of putting official plans in place while you are still alive to ensure that your wishes are respected in the event of your death. While most people associate estate planning with the passing of material and financial things, there are actually many aspects of successful estate planning.

When you begin the process of planning your estate in California, there are several key things you should take into consideration. Some of the most common things to include in your estate planning are:

  • Decide who will care for your minor children in the event of your death.
  • Decide which assets you wish to pass on to friends and loved ones, as well as designate who receives what.
  • Choose an individual that you trust to be the executor of your will.
  • Choose who you would like to provide financial or material support to and how you would like to provide it.
  • Determine who you trust to make decisions in your best interest if you are sick or injured and unable to make them for yourself.

There are many other decisions that will need to be made, as well as several ways to organize and execute your final wishes. Two of the most common forms of estate planning are wills and trusts.

california estate planning lawyers

Wills vs. Trusts

One of the first decisions you will make when planning your estate is how you want your assets held and divided once you are no longer living. Trusts and wills are the two most common ways to do this.

If you choose to create a trust, then the assets that you wish to pass on will be held by the trust and then distributed at the appropriate time. Trusts are a great option to preserve money because they bypass the court system, so you can avoid additional taxes and fees. There are two primary types of trusts: revocable and irrevocable. A revocable, or living trust, can be changed and executed while you are still living, but an irrevocable trust cannot be amended at all once it is finalized.

Unlike a trust, wills must pass through the probate system of the court. This means that there may be certain restrictions on how assets can be distributed, depending on the laws in your state. For example, many states do not allow you to fully disinherit a spouse or child, regardless of the circumstances.

Contact Our California Estate Planning Attorneys Today

It is important that you understand the inheritance laws in your state so that you can develop a will that will best meet the needs of yourself and your loved ones. Contact the team at Sakamoto & Ruelas, APC, for all your estate planning needs.

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Sakamoto & Ruelas, APC

Secure Your Home, Family And Future. Plan Today.

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Call Our Office At (714) 994-4900

Cerritos Office
Main Office
18115 Valley View Avenue
Suite 201
Cerritos, CA 90703
Phone: (714) 994-4900

Mission Viejo Office
27281 Las Ramblas
Suite 200
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
Phone: (714) 994-4900