In Gaithersburg, "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 process of implementing those decisions when the time comes.

The problems that estate planning raises are sometimes very confusing. 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.

While planning your estate, there are a few frequent issues that most people should consider. One big one is the decision relating to power of attorney, which is an arrangement where you give one person the power to make legally-binding decisions on your behalf. You can set up an agreement telling your representative clearly what power they have, what you want them to do, and when the power will vest (normally, if and when you become unable to make your own decisions).

A brilliant estate planner in Gaithersburg, 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 Gaithersburg 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: Unlike ordinary wills, a living will contains instructions concerning a person's medical care. Some recent high-profile controversies have illustrated the importance of making a living will, even for younger people. 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 allowed, you can put that in your living will, as well.

Power of Attorney: This is an arrangement in which you give someone else, normally a trusted family member, the power to make financial and medical decisions on your behalf, in case you become unable to make or express your own decisions.

Funeral Arrangements: If you have any strong preferences regarding the disposition of your physical remains, you should make them known to your family early, and should not include funeral instructions in your will. Wills are commonly read weeks after the testator dies, so in most cases, it will be too late by then.

Do I Need a Gaithersburg Estates Lawyer?

A brilliant lawyer in Gaithersburg can make the process of estate planning as simple as it possibly can be. He or she can help ensure that your wishes are given effect, and minimize the chances of disputes between your survivors.

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