Alameda Estate Planning

Find the right Wills & Trusts attorney in Alameda, CA

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

You will frequently need to seek the help of a professional with legal and/or financial expertise when in the process of estate planning. Simple mistakes in an estate plan can cause egregious problems, including legal and personal conflicts between your survivors.

Estate planning can have numerous positive effects on the planner during life, as well. These benefits are typically 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 specific 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.

The last thing a person wants to think about is the possibility that, after their death, their survivors are fighting over some part of their estate plan that's ambiguous or otherwise contentious. If you want to keep this, or at least make it far less possible, you should have the help of an Alameda attorney every step of the way.

Common Features of Alameda Estates

Will: Wills are a very important part of almost all estate plans. In simplest terms, it answers the question "who gets what after I die?" Usually, you can leave your property to anyone you wish. If you die without a will, your property will usually be given to your closest living relative (usually a spouse or child).

Living Will: This is a document which lays out instructions for your medical care, should you become so sick or badly hurt that you are unable to express your wishes. It should state under what cases 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. Typically, 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: Whatever your preference on this matter (if you have a preference) you should make it known to your family both verbally and in writing. If you have very particular wishes regarding the final disposition of your mortal remains, you should not put those instructions in your will. Or, if you do, you should also put them somewhere else. Wills are normally not read for quite some time after a person dies, and the funeral is typically long over by then, so it will be too late to follow your instructions.

Do I Need a Alameda Estates Lawyer?

A reliable estates lawyer in Alameda can make the estate planning process much easier. He or she can maximize the chances of your wishes being given effect. Moreover, a good and clear estate plan is far less likely to result in litigation in the future, since disputes of this nature are almost always the result of ambiguity.

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

Life in Alameda

Alameda, California is a city in Alameda County. Its population is currently about 80,000 people. It is located in the Eastern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Alameda, California is located on two islands: Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, in the San Francisco bay. Alameda, California is popular with wind surfers, thanks to its proximity to the San Francisco Bay, and the presence of a fairly large public beach in town, which, besides being a good site for wind surfing, provides beautiful views of the San Francisco skyline and the Bay Bridge.

Until 1997, Naval Air Station Alameda was one of the driving forces in the local economy. But it was closed in 1997, during a wave of military cutbacks and base closures that occurred at the end of the Cold War. Nowadays, Alameda, California is a major regional center for wine and spirit production. The alcohol industry is heavily regulated, so these wineries and distilleries hire a large number of Alameda, California attorneys.

If you need to find a lawyer in Alameda, California, you're in luck. There are many well-qualified and experienced attorneys in Alameda, California, who can help you with just about any legal issue you're likely to face.

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