Mary Ann Tardiff is the estate planning attorney in Atascadero assisting with wills and trusts. She is knowledgeable about state and federal laws that affect estates and experienced in creating estate plans that protect estates in the best interest of the estate owners and their beneficiaries. She is the legal professional to see for help with setting up a will and a trust as well as all of the other estate planning issues. An estate planning attorney assists with:
- Creating a will and designating beneficiaries.
- Creating an Advanced Health Care Directive (ACHD) and the associated health care durable power of attorney, as well as a durable power of attorney designating someone to take care of financial matters in the event you are unable to do so.
- Setting up trusts to protect your assets for you during your lifetime and for your beneficiaries after your death.
- Finding ways to reduce and avoid taxes.
- Avoiding probate court.
Creating a will and trust involves more than just filling out paperwork. It might seem like an easy thing to just download forms from the Internet, fill them out and sign them, but there is much more to creating a will and a trust than generic forms can address. Estate laws vary from state to state and knowledge about state laws is important as is knowledge about federal tax and inheritance laws.
For example, if someone lives in California, but has real property in Nebraska, that property is subject to Nebraska’s probate and estate laws. The will and trust need to make the correct provisions for that property under Nebraska’s laws. Working with a professional when setting up a will and trust, like Atascadero’s Mary Ann Tardiff makes sure things are done correctly. You have access to a specialist who can answer your questions, and:
- Is knowledgeable about estate planning laws.
- Creates an individualized plan, including a will and trust that are tailored to your specific needs.
- Answers your questions and offers valuable legal advice for your unique circumstances.
- Makes sure your will and trust are legally enforceable.
Even those who think they have nothing of value are surprised to learn that do have assets of value. In California, any estate that is valued at more than $184,500 is subject to probate court proceedings when someone dies without a trust and a will. A will alone is not enough to avoid probate court, but a correctly established trust is not subject to probate court.
A trust is rarely vulnerable to legal challenges from disgruntled heirs, whereas a will alone and probate proceedings are. Creating a will and trust with the help of Atascadero’s Mary Ann Tardiff is insurance that your wishes will not be contested.
Call today and get answers for:
- Do I need a will?
- Why do I need a trust if I have a will?
- I already have a will, why do I need a living will?
- How do I make sure my children are taken care of?
- How do I change my will or trust?
- And many more questions…