Not just for the rich and famous but for almost everybody.

Estate planning isn’t just for the wealthy. People hear the words “estate planning” and may think they don’t have enough money to set up an estate plan. But that’s far from true, though it’s a common misconception. Estate planning doesn’t just encompass disposing of one’s millions but it actually deals with much more concrete and common issues as well, like who will be guardian of the children, who gets the house, the condo, the boat, the car, the family heirlooms,  who will take care of my dear companion pet, who will make my health care decisions for me if I am incapacitated…the list keeps going.  

Some of the goals of estate planning involve minimizing estate or gift tax liabilities and/or probate expenses, reducing conflict over the distribution of property among the beneficiaries (the people who inherit by law or by will designation, usually family and friends) and preparing long term care plans for when health may begin to fail or serious illness strikes without warning.  

An estate planning attorney can help you take stock of all that you have, educate you as to who will inherit by law if there is no estate plan in place, help you organize how you want things to be distributed among your loved ones, setup a trust for a minor child, a person with special needs or even to ensure the long term care of a beloved pet.  

An estate planning attorney can also help you consider how best to arrange for long term health care, discuss assisted living options when the time comes, review power of attorney pros and cons, advanced health care directives, all manner of future planning.  These are hard topics to think about, let alone tackle on your own.  

 When you are ready to think about arranging your future and getting a sense of what may need to be done to take care of yourself and your loved ones, call the Riverside LRS. We’ll be happy to put you in touch with an experienced elder law attorney to help get the ball rolling, so you can stop worrying about your future. Call us 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. M-F at (951) 682-7520.