Augusta Estate Planning

Find the right Wills & Trusts attorney in Augusta, GA

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

The problems that estate planning raises are sometimes very convoluted. Without competent legal and financial advice, many problems can pop up, which can easily throw your entire plan into disarray, and cost your survivors a great deal of time, energy, and money.

Estate planning can have many positive effects on the planner during life, as well. These benefits are usually 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 certain decisions on your behalf. You can grant them as much or as little authority as you want. Most people, 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 good estate planner in Augusta, 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 Augusta Estates

Will: This is the centerpiece of most estate plans. A will is a document written by a person (the "testator"), usually with the help of a lawyer, which says what is to be done with their property after they die. Most provisions in a will are legally binding, to the extent that ownership of the property legally passes to the named beneficiary. However, a will cannot compel a person to do anything against their wishes (though it can certainly state your preferences on the matter, phrasing them as requests).

Living Will: A living will contains instructions about your medical care, generally for the purpose of informing your family and doctors of your preferences if you suddenly become incapacitated. A living will is very important if you have any strong preferences in this area. It should be written with the advice of a doctor, so you know the exact medical consequences of your decisions, and a lawyer, so it is virtually guaranteed to be legally binding.

Power of Attorney: What if you become incapacitated, and can't make your own decisions? It would be nice if somebody knew what you would want in a given situation, and, on top of that, had the legal authority to make that decision for you. Power of attorney lets you do exactly that, granting a person of your choice the ability to make certain decisions for you, in case you, for whatever reason, can't (you can, of course, control the scope of power that you grant).

Funeral Arrangements: You should make it very clear to the people 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 often 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 Augusta Estates Lawyer?

A poorly drafted or executed Augusta estate plan can have major negative consequences. For example, it might be confusing to the people who are most directly affected by it. This confusion can often lead to costly litigation. For that reason, the assistance of an experienced estate planning attorney can be invaluable.

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

Life in Augusta

Augusta, Georgia is a city consolidated with Richmond County, Georgia. This means that the government of the city and the county are one and the same. As of 2008, the Augusta-Richmond entity has a population of 195,000 people.

Augusta was founded in the colonial era, and was the second established town in what was, at the time, a British colony named Georgia.

Augusta, Georgia has recently seen an economic boom, thanks to a large concentration of businesses in the medical and biotech industries setting up shop there. It is home to the Medical College of Georgia, the state's only public medical school, and also offers a program in dentistry, graduate degrees in nursing, and others. This college attracts students from all over the country, increasing the local consumer base, and provides over 7,000 jobs.

Augusta is also home to Fort Gordon, an U.S. Army base that houses significant elements of the Army Signal Corps, and has about 30,000 occupants.

Needless to say, Augusta, Georgia lawyers need to be well-versed in several areas of law to stay competitive. The sheer diversity of industry and demographics in the area mean that there is almost certainly an Augusta, Georgia lawyer who is right for you.

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