A will is typically just one part of a properly designed estate plan. If you do not have a will, your estate will pass “intestate” according to the laws of California.
However, even if you have a will or choose to have one drafted on your behalf, there are a few things you should know.
Read our blog post ‘Is a Handwritten Will Effective?‘
If you have minor children, a will is used to determine guardianship if both parents have passed. This keeps your family from waging war with each other over the care of your children and allows them to expend their energy on the children’s behalf instead.
A will speaks only upon your death, so any matter that occurs while you are still alive will not be affected by the execution of a valid will.
It will not keep your estate out of the probate court. Simply, it is a set of instructions to the probate court on how you would like your estate to pass, rather than passing according to the State’s intestacy laws. You should know that the probate process can take an extended amount of time and have excessive costs.
A will alone can handle some aspects of your estate, but not all. In a comprehensive plan, the will is used in conjunction with a revocable living trust to protect your estate. This type of will is often called a pour-over will. Visit our pour-over will page to learn more on how that document can benefit your estate plan.
We will prepare a legal document to provide clear instructions on what should happen to all your assets according to your wishes after death. It can prevent family feuds over property and other finances.
We’ll guide you in choosing a power of attorney (POA) and explain what legal decisions can be made by the person assigned. It’s the best way to protect your finances, property, or medical care.
This includes Revocable Living Trust, Irrevocable Trust, Testamentary Trust, and Special Needs Trust.
Our professional team will ensure that a pour-over will is in place to capture any assets that are not included in your living trust or that weren’t transferred initially. It’s always better to play it safe and make sure everything is handled accordingly.
If something should happen to you and you can no longer make decisions, you’ll want to make sure that somebody has your best interest at heart and follows your instructions for any healthcare needs. Our team will create the legal healthcare documents needed to give you peace of mind.
Jen Prioriello was very professional and easy to work with. She explained everything as we went so I would understand the process. I will definitely use them again.
The team at Filippi Law Firm handled the settlement of my cousin’s estate flawlessly. A difficult time for me as the executor and trustee was made a lot easier having this law firm handle all of the legal details of the settlement. I highly recommend this law firm!
Our Attorney Jen was extremely helpful navigating us throughout our legal matters. She truly is outstanding! It was a pleasure working with her & her associates at Filippi Law Firm!
Very Professional service provided. Handled my trust with professional care and left us feeling very confident. Would recommend Filippi Law Firm to all my friends.
I was in need of establishing a trust and will; very important items to take care of. Although I’m sure I could have got this done for less money, the attention to detail and addressing possible future scenarios was very impressive. I’m a firm believer of you get what you pay for and I’m convinced that the Filippi Law Firm’s experience with estate planning truly shows in the documents they prepared for me. I’m very happy with the results and I feel better knowing this important item has been taken care of so thoroughly!
Jennifer Prioriello is a true artist at her legal craft. You’d be lucky to have her as your attorney. My advice? Take her and don’t look back. Jen will be the best decision you’ve made in a long time.
