Estate Planning Attorney Serving Dallas and Surrounding Areas Estate planning conversations have a tendency to stay on the back burner. However, when you have a spouse or child, it is important to have an estate plan that ensures loved ones are cared for if anything were to happen to you. It is essential to consult a skilled lawyer who can protect those you care about and ensure their financial well being through estate planning tailored to your individual circumstances.
For over 20 years, clients have put their trust in Jesse White for their estate planning needs. When you need an estate plan, Jesse White will build an individualized plan that takes care of loved ones and accounts for your legacy goals, including charitable requests. If you recently lost a loved one, he can guide you through the probate process.
The best time to plan for your estate is while you are healthy and able to make sound financial decisions. It is these decisions that will:
Ensure your estate/asset directions are carried out when you're gone.
Act as guideposts for providing for your dependents and efficiently distributing your assets.
Resolve any conflicts that might arise over the distribution of your assets after you're gone.
Experienced Guidance Through The Estate Planning Process
Planning your estate involves difficult decisions about private matters related to the disbursement of property and assets. Our estate planning lawyer Jesse White will work closely with you to develop an estate plan that will address your concerns, which may include:
Disposition of your estate
Asset protection, asset management & the division of assets
Health care decisions
Guardianships
Tax considerations
Trusts
The Five Essential Estate Planning Documents You Should Have
1. Will A will is a legal document used to express your last wishes. It dictates how your estate will be allocated after death and names one or more persons, the executor, to manage the estate until its final distribution.
2. Durable Power of Attorney A Durable Power of Attorney allows a person, most often elderly (known as the “Principal”) to appoint a close friend or relative (this person is known as the “Agent”) to oversee legal and financial matters on their behalf. The term “Durable” implies that the Agent’s responsibilities will stay intact if the Principal becomes incapacitated. Having a valid Durable Power of Attorney in place prior to the Principal becoming incapacitated can potentially save thousands of dollars in attorney's fees by avoiding the necessity of a guardianship.
3. Medical Power of Attorney A Medical Power of Attorney is a document signed by a competent adult, i.e., “principal,” designating a person who the principal trusts to make health care decisions on the principal’s behalf should the principal be unable to make such decisions. The individual chosen to act on the principal’s behalf is referred to as an “agent.”
4. Living Will A living will, also called a directive to physicians or advance directive, is a document that lets people state their wishes for end-of-life medical care, in case they become unable to communicate their decisions. It has no power after death.
5. Revocable Living Trust A living trust is an effective way to handle one's estate, especially in providing clear direction on how one's assets should be disbursed (and to whom) after death.
Contact Us Today for a Free Case Evaluation
Jesse White handles estate planning matters for clients in Dallas and surrounding Texas communities. Contact us today online or by telephone at 214-865-6465 to arrange a consultation.