Killeen Estate Planning

Find the right Wills & Trusts attorney in Killeen, TX

Most people in Killeen have preferences about what should be done with their property after they die. This is why the process of estate planning exists - it allows people to make a broad range of decisions related to this issue.

If you want to start the process of planning your estate, you've made a good choice, especially 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 very helpful in the long run, avoiding a lot of problems in the future.

In addition to post-death decisions, estate planning also concerns matters that might affect you during your life, such as granting power of attorney to a family member or trusted friend in case you become unable to make your own decisions regarding your finances or medical care. Furthermore, effective estate planning can minimize the impact that estate taxes and court fees will have on your final disposition to your loved ones.

If you want to maximize the odds that your wishes will be followed after your death, you should do everything you can to make them legally binding. While this is not always possible, a Killeen attorney will be able to make sure that, where it is possible, it is done.

Common Features of Killeen Estates

Will: This is usually 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 usually have the effect of transferring legal ownership of the property to the named beneficiary.

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

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

Funeral Arrangements: Some people, for religious and other reasons, have very specific wishes concerning the disposal of their remains after they die. Some want to be buried. Others, cremated. No matter what your preferences on this matter are, it's essential that you inform your family of them far in advance. These instructions should be included in a document that is likely to be read before your death (such as a living will), or very shortly thereafter. This excludes a will, because it's often weeks after a person dies until their will is read.

Do I Need a Killeen Estates Lawyer?

A flawed estate plan in Killeen can result in those affected by it being confused as to your intent, which can then lead to disputes between them. A good attorney can often avoid this confusion by ensuring that there is as little ambiguity as possible in your will and other related documents.

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

Life in Killeen

Killeen, Texas is a city in Bell County. Its population is currently about 128,000 people.

Killeen, Texas is best known for being the nearest city to Fort Hood, the largest military installation in the United States, and one of the largest in the world. This military base is by far the largest employer in the area, and the major driver of the economy of Killeen, Texas, providing a huge customer base for local businesses.

The Army also employs thousands of lawyers, both as commissioned officers and civilians. Many Killeen, Texas lawyers owe their livelihoods to the presence of this fort.

Accordingly, if you're a civilian or military resident of Killeen, Texas, and are in need of legal representation, you can be pretty sure that there are lawyers in Killeen, Texas who can assist you with your legal issue.

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