Torrance Estate Planning Lawyer
One of the final ways you can support your loved ones is by providing them with a generous gift upon your passing while also making the distribution of your assets a painless process. By creating an estate plan with care and attention, you can make your assets go farther than they otherwise could, providing a lasting legacy of generosity to your family, loved ones, and treasured institutions.
The Torrance office of Samuel Ford Law provides comprehensive estate planning services for South Bay residents with estates both large and small. We dedicate our practice to the creation of end-of-life documents and planning, not just for the elderly but for people of all ages who understand the importance of having a plan in place to prepare for any eventuality. Contact a Torrance estate planning lawyer at Samuel Ford Law to discuss how an estate plan could help further your wishes for how your assets live on after you pass.
Legal help that offers much more than a form can provide
If you’ve searched the internet for the term “California will,” you’ve doubtless found hundreds of websites offering free or nearly-free forms you can use to draft a last will and testament. Sadly, there’s no free way to create an estate plan that will do as thorough a job of passing your property on to your heirs as will an estate plan created by legal professionals. Here are just a few reasons why working with an experienced estate planning attorney will pay dividends for you and your family:
- Planning helps you avoid the costly and time-consuming probate process: Probate of a will in California can take at least a year, and up to several years, to complete, delaying the ability of your heirs to make use of the gifts you left to them by tying up your assets in court. Additionally, a portion of the estate will go to the executor and attorney managing probate, which will reduce the amount that your heirs eventually receive. Knowledgeable California estate planning attorneys can structure your estate plan so that the maximum number of assets are conveyed in such a way that few, if any, will need to be passed down through probate.
- Seasoned guidance to help reduce the tax burden on your estate and heirs: While the federal estate tax was, for many years, set at such a high point that only the wealthiest families needed to plan for the effects of estate taxes on their heirs, these laws may soon change. Aside from uncertainty under federal law, recent California state law changes on the conveyance of property could have serious consequences for you and your family as well. Our estate planning professionals at Samuel Ford Law are committed to staying up-to-date on changes to the law and developing strategies that allow our clients to avoid unnecessary tax burdens.
- Preparation of all documents you’ll need at the end of your life, not just a will: Beyond the allocation of assets, there are other legal instruments and documents you’ll want in place in the event you lose mental or physical capacity. A seasoned attorney can draft a durable power of attorney, advanced health care directive, and other instruments that will ensure that your wishes are carried out even when you’re not able to speak for yourself.
- Strategic planning for the succession of your business: The development of a successful closely-held business requires immeasurable amounts of diligent work and commitment. You deserve to know that there is a plan in place for how your business will live on after you go.
- Creation of trusts that can facilitate easy transfer of assets and structure distribution of those funds: Donating assets to your heirs through a will is a traditional method for providing an inheritance, but it isn’t always the best one. By creating a trust and selecting a trustee who can capably manage it, you’ll provide a way for those assets to pass to your heirs without going through probate. You’ll also have a way to place conditions on the transfer of funds from the trust to the beneficiary, such as a requirement that those funds be used to further the beneficiary’s education, or that they only become available in designated increments.
Design an estate plan that leaves a lasting impact on the people and charities that matter most to you
Don’t forfeit your last opportunity to make a mark on the world and the lives of those you hold dear. You can, with the support of trustworthy guidance and innovative legal strategies, make your estate go farther than you thought possible after you pass on. Our Torrance-based estate planning professionals at Samuel Ford Law are committed to providing the highest quality service to our clients. We are constantly studying legal developments and the latest in California estate planning strategies so that your gifts will go to your family, rather than being lost to fees, costs, and taxes. Contact the Torrance estate planning lawyer of Samuel Ford Law to discuss your estate planning needs.
