Baton Rouge Estate Planning

Find the right Wills & Trusts attorney in Baton Rouge, LA

In Baton Rouge, "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 usually 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.

Estate planning can have various positive effects on the planner during life, as well. These benefits are normally somewhat intangible, revolving around the peace of mind that comes with knowing that, after your death, you family will be taken care of and that they'll know what your last wishes are. Nonetheless, most people find this very valuable. To that end, you should come up with a power-of-attorney agreement. When you grant someone power of attorney, you have given them the power to make particular decisions on your behalf. You can grant them as much or as little authority as you want. Most individuals, however, give family members or life partners power of attorney with respect to medical care, so if they become incapacitated, their wishes will still be carried out.

A seasoned estate planner in Baton Rouge, 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 Baton Rouge Estates

Will: This is normally a major component in any estate plan. A will is a document in which a person lays out what they want done with their property after their death. These gifts normally have the effect of transferring legal ownership of the property to the named beneficiary.

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 permitted, you can put that in your living will, as well.

Power of Attorney: Power of attorney allows you to grant someone else (normally a trusted family member or friend) the power to make certain decisions in your place, with the same legal effect as if you had made them yourself, in the event that you become unable to do so (normally due to mental or physical incapacity). If you decide to give someone power of attorney, you should make your wishes known to them in advance, so they are more likely to make the same decisions that you would make, if you were able to. And, of course, you should exclusively give this authority to someone with whom you would trust your life because that is, in some cases, just what you're doing.

Funeral Arrangements: You should make it very clear to the individuals handling your funeral what type of funeral you want, and what you want done with your body. You should not put these instructions in your will, because wills are commonly not read until days or weeks after the testator dies, by which point it may be too late to give their wishes on this subject effect.

Do I Need a Baton Rouge Estates Lawyer?

A seasoned estate planning professional in Baton Rouge 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 Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge is a great place to have some fun! For some fun in the sun, families can go to Blue Bayou Water Park. The park includes crazy waterslides and tubes, and cafes with great food. Right across the street is Dixie Landin Theme Park with great roller coasters and rides for all ages.

For a more relaxing outing, try a boat ride on Casino Riverboats. These riverboats feature live music, buffets, and gaming tables! Casino Riverboat rides are a great way to eat, drink, enjoy the water, and have some fun gambling.

Baton Rouge is also an area rich in history. There are many historical sites to visit, including the Enchanted Mansion Doll Museum, the Magnolia Mound Plantation, Mount Hope Plantation, and San Francisco Plantation.

However, fun is not the only thing Baton Rouge is about. Baton Rouge is filled with many great law firms that have a large clientele, are experienced in all practice areas, and have skilled lawyers working for them. Therefore, have no fear because any legal need can be met in Baton Rouge!

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