Anderson Estate Planning

Find the right Wills & Trusts attorney in Anderson, IN

In Anderson, "estate planning" refers to all of the decisions affecting how a person's property is going to be disposed of after their death, as well as the procedure of implementing those decisions when the time comes.

Estate planning normally requires professional legal and financial advice, because of the complexity and importance of the issues involved. A poorly-executed estate plan can commonly end with survivors suing each other, and prevent your intentions from being effectuated.

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.

If you want to maximize the odds that your wishes will be followed after your death, you should do everything you can to make them legally binding. While this is not always possible, an Anderson attorney will be able to make sure that, where it is feasible, it is done.

Common Features of Anderson 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: This is a document which lays out instructions for your medical care, should you become so sick or badly harmed that you are unable to express your wishes. It should state under what situations you want to remain on life support. A well-drafted living will can prevent you from being kept alive in a permanent vegetative state (if that is not what you want), while guaranteeing that you receive medical care as long as you have a chance at recovery.

Power of Attorney: Power of attorney, while important, is not to be used lightly. This is because it involves granting someone else the power to make legally-binding decisions on your behalf. Normally, your spouse will automatically have power of attorney if you become incapacitated. If you are not married, however, you need to make a document explicitly granting that authority to someone you trust (a life partner or close family member, for instance).

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 Anderson Estates Lawyer?

A seasoned estate planning professional in Anderson can be invaluable, and you will probably find their services to be well worth the price. They can make the whole process a great deal simpler, and they can also help to minimize the chances that your estate plan will be disputed, saving your survivors a great deal of time, money, and energy.

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

Life in Anderson

Anderson is a city of about 56,000 people, located in Madison County. Two main reasons Anderson is known is because it is the headquarters of the Church of God, and it is where Anderson University is located.

Some popular attractions include Downtown Historic District, Paramount Theatre, Mounds State Park, The Anderson Center for the Arts and Madison County Historical Center.

Interestingly, in 2007 Anderson was ranked number ninety-eight out of one hundred in Forbes Magazine's "100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro Areas." Being such a great place for businesses, it is natural that many attorneys and law offices would have a presence in Anderson to support businesses. Anderson has a competent legal force that is capable of handling any and every legal matter of Anderson residents and businesses.

All in all, Anderson is a wonderful small city that offers a great quality of life.

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