Oceanside Estate Planning

Find the right Wills & Trusts attorney in Oceanside, CA

In Oceanside, estate planning refers to the procedure of deciding what should be done with one's assets after their death.

Estate planning frequently requires the advice of a legal and/or financial expert, because the issues involved can be complicated, and are regarded by most to be extremely important. A flawed estate plan might create conflict between your survivors, resulting in your intentions not being given effect.

In addition to deciding what to do with your assets after your death, your estate plan should also contain things that might become relevant during life. Power of attorney is a big one. Power of attorney is an arrangement in which you provide another person the ability to make decisions for you, if you become incapacitated. Furthermore, effective estate planning can help reduce the effect of taxes and court fees on your final disposition to your chosen beneficiaries.

A seasoned estate planner in Oceanside, can make this process much easier, minimizing the chances that your estate plan will end up in court, saving your survivors a huge amount of time and money.

Common Features of Oceanside Estates

Will: This is a legal document which transfers ownership of the testator's (the person making the will) property to named beneficiaries after the testator's death. The beneficiaries can be just about anyone the testator chooses, but smaller estates, usually only include family members, and maybe very close friends. If you want, you can place conditions on gifts (say, leaving a certain amount of money to your son, but only if he graduates college before he turns 25 - this is just an example). However, a will can't actually compel anyone to do anything, and some conditional gifts won't be enforced, usually because they involve an illegal act, or require a person to marry or refrain from marrying a certain person.

Living Will: Unlike ordinary wills, a living will contains instructions regarding a person's medical care. Some recent high-profile controversies have illustrated the importance of making a living will, even for younger individuals. In a living will, you can give your family members and doctors instructions about your desired medical care, in case you become incapacitated (comatose or brain-dead, for example) and can't tell them yourself. Some people say that they would not want to be kept alive by artificial means if they are in a vegetative state, and there's no chance of recovery. If this is you, that's definitely something to include in a living will. Of course, if you would prefer the opposite, being kept alive as long as is medically feasible, you can put that in your living will, as well.

Power of Attorney: Power of attorney is the right to make binding decisions for another person, when that person becomes unable to make or express their own decisions. You can grant power of attorney to anyone you want, but, for obvious reasons, you should only grant it to somebody you trust, and discuss your exact wishes with them, in case they actually have to make a decision for you.

Funeral Arrangements: Some people, for religious and other reasons, have very particular wishes regarding the disposal of their remains after they die. Some want to be buried. Others, cremated. No matter what your preferences on this matter are, it's necessary that you inform your family of them far in advance. These instructions should be included in a document that is likely to be read before your death (such as a living will), or very shortly thereafter. This excludes a will, because it's commonly weeks after a person dies until their will is read.

Do I Need a Oceanside Estates Lawyer?

A seasoned lawyer in Oceanside can make the process of estate planning as simple as it possibly can be. He or she can help ensure that your wishes are given effect, and minimize the chances of disputes between your survivors.

Talk to a Wills, Trusts & Estates Law Attorney now!

Life in Oceanside

Oceanside, California is the third-largest city in San Diego County. Its population is just under 180,000 people.

Oceanside is located near Camp Pendleton, which is the busiest, and one of the largest, military installations in the U.S., and a major source of the area's economic activity.

Oceanside, California was originally settled by Europeans in 1769, when Spanish missionaries arrived in the area, though the area had been populated by Native Americans for thousands of years before, and became part of Spain's North American empire. In 1821, when Mexico gained independence from Spain, the area now known as Oceanside, and the rest of California, became part of Mexico. The area fell under U.S. control after Mexico lost the Mexican-American war.

This led to a land rush into the newly-acquired territories by American settlers. By the early 20th Century, Oceanside began to develop into the beach community that we would recognize today.

Oceanside has a climate which, for many people, isnearly perfect, with temperatures rarely exceeding 80 degrees, or dropping below 40 degrees, coupled with small amounts of rain.

Oceanside, California is a very attractive area to live, owing to its proximity to one of the largest cities in the U.S.,and its mild climate. It should be no surprise, then, that given its fairly large population, and attractive living conditions, many Oceanside, California lawyers practice in the area. An Oceanside, California attorney can handle just about any legal issue a resident of the area is likely to face.

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