Cornelius Estate Planning Lawyer

Estate planning helps ensure your assets and affairs will be managed and distributed according to your wishes in the event of death or incapacitation. From a legal standpoint, we recommend everyone have an estate plan, regardless of age or financial situation. Here are some of the reasons why you should have an estate plan:

• Control how your assets will be distributed
• Protect your family wealth and the beneficiaries
• Protect your assets, property, and loved ones from the probate process
• Prevent future conflicts
• Minimize state estate and inheritance taxes
• Ensure your children are cared for in case you die without a surviving spouse

An estate plan goes beyond managing your wealth. It provides guidelines for your loved ones to follow, which helps prevent conflicts and confusion during emotionally trying times. As such, now—while you’re healthy and of sound mind—is the best time to arrange an initial consultation with our experienced Cornelius estate planning attorneys to create an estate plan. We can help you acquire legally binding documents and guide you through making decisions that achieve your goals now and protect your legacy for the future.

An estate plan may include a combination of several documents. Our Cornelius, NC estate planning attorneys can help you find documents that may be suitable for your estate plan. As such, we can provide effective legal counsel in the following areas:

Wills and Trusts      

A Will, also called a Last Will and Testament, is a document that establishes how your property and assets should be distributed. It also defines the parental and durable power of attorney and plans for healthcare. Without a Will, the state will decide where everything goes. As such, having a will safeguards your legacy, protects your children, and ensures everyone is taken care of and your assets distributed according to your wishes. Our estate planning attorneys in Cornelius, NC can help you draft or update your will, check its validity, and honor your last wishes.  

Living Wills

A living will in a Cornelius estate plan defines the end-of-life directives on how you want to be kept alive. It allows you to control what measures medical providers can and cannot take to prolong your life when you become incapacitated. You can specify the type of medication you receive and whether or not you want to remain on artificial life support. Typically, you can use a living will to communicate your healthcare wishes to your family members and medical providers.

Power of Attorneys

Power of attorney allows you to appoint someone who can make decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated or permanently unavailable. Our experienced estate planning lawyers can prepare the following types of powers of attorney:

• Healthcare Power of Attorney: This legal document allows an individual to make critical medical decisions for you. The healthcare agent can be a close relative, a family friend, or a doctor who understands the client’s medical condition and health history. 
• Financial Power of Attorney: Also called Durable Power of Attorney, this document appoints a person to conduct your financial or business affairs if you’re incapacitated. This may include managing your financial and property transactions. 
• Parental Power of Attorney: The parental power of attorney gives a trusted person the power to act on behalf of a parent or guardian. It can become effective after extreme illness, incapacitation, or death occurs. This document grants individuals the power to make specific decisions regarding their children’s well-being.

At King Law, we do more than draft a power of attorney. Our estate planning lawyers will take the time to help you understand each power of attorney and the powers you’re granting. We can also help you choose an agent who has your best interests at heart.

Estate Administration

We also help administer the terms of our clients’ estates after they die. This includes handling the probate process, ensuring all assets are distributed correctly, and filing fiduciary and estate tax returns. We can also help you protect your assets from actions such as creditor claims, lawsuits, and claims by ex-spouses.

Estate planning is a complex area of the law, and your decisions will impact your future and your family’s well-being. That’s why we work with our clients to create a customized estate plan that meets their needs. Our Cornelius estate planning lawyers can help you with everything from identifying your beneficiaries to determining the best type of trust for your needs. By working with us, you’ll get:

• Comprehensive estate planning and estate administration services with care and understanding
• Reassurance that your wishes are in safe hands
• Insight on the Cornelius laws that affect your estate plan
• A compassionate team that understands your situation and concerns
• Access to legal advice from experts familiar with Cornelius estate plans

As the best estate planning lawyers in Cornelius, we deliver top-notch expertise combined with personalized attention and respect for you and your loved ones. We guide you through difficult conversations and handle everything from finalizing the documents to ensuring your desires are fulfilled even after you’re gone.