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

If you want to start the process of planning your estate, you've made a good choice, particularly if you care about what happens to your survivors after you're gone. You should be careful, however, and make sure you have the help of a legal and financial expert every step of the way. This will likely prove extremely helpful in the long run, preventing a lot of problems in the future.

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 qualified estate planner in Benton can make the procedure of planning your estate go much more smoothly, and maximize the chances of your wishes really being carried out with legal force.

Common Features of Benton 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?" Typically, 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 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: 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 clearly 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: What do you want done with your body after you die? Do you want to be cremated? How about buried? Or maybe you want to be cremated, and have your remains shot into space? Whatever your preference, you won't exactly be able to tell anyone when the time comes. Thus, you should make your desires on this matter known well in advance. You also shouldn't make your will the only place where these instructions are included, since it might not be read for weeks after your death, when it will likely be too late.

Do I Need a Benton Estates Lawyer?

A seasoned estates lawyer in Benton can make the estate planning process much easier. He or she can maximize the chances of your wishes being given effect. Additionally, 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.