Although very few people would say that they enjoy thinking about what will happen to their loved ones when they’re gone, it’s important to realize that estate planning is the responsible thing to do. If you want your family to be well taken care of, it’s vital that you set a trust in place to make sure that happens. However, it’s just as important to have help from an attorney when deciding how and to whom your estate will be passed on. If you’re wondering why you need legal help to create a viable trust document, here are two solid reasons why you should be calling an attorney today.
Financial Issues Are Complex
Whether or not you love crunching numbers, you may be surprised at how complex Trusts and Estate Law can become. Not only are there strict laws about what you can and cannot include in your trust, there are also numerous issues that can affect how your trust will be handled in the future, including whether or not you have retirement accounts, own multiple businesses or properties, or have taxable estate. An attorney will assist you in correctly handling all of your complex issues so you can make sure your trust will hold up in court and your estate will be handled according to your wishes once you are no longer here.
Things Change
Everyone understands that life circumstances are subject to change. Over time, people grow up, get married and divorced, have children, pass away, become disabled, make and lose money, and start and dissolve businesses. While your situation may change fluidly with each passing year, you may discover that altering the terms of your trust isn’t the easiest thing in the world. You’ll need to understand how your proposed amendments will affect the other aspects of your trust, and your attorney can help you do just that. They’ll be able to make sure that the changes you make are not only legally sound, but that they will work well in conjunction with the other terms that you have set forth in the original trust.
Do-it-yourself estate planning kits often make Trusts and Estate Law seem so simple, but using them could mean setting yourself up for failure. Instead of worrying about what will happen when you pass on, make sure your family is set up for success by talking with a lawyer about your estate today.
