The total value of your estate, meaning the value of everything you own, will help to determine if you need a trust or just a will to protect your assets and your family. If you have a will, your estate may need to go through the court system to make sure the instructions in your will are carried out. This is called probate. However, you may not always need to go to court to have that happen. Only a consultation with an attorney can give you a definite answer. We offer a free consultation for this purpose.

If you do not have a will, the State can and will decide what happens to your estate after your death. The state does not know just what your wishes are, and your assets will not be distributed the way you intended them to be. An attorney can assist you in ensuring this does not happen. The probate process can be complicated and potentially take a long time to complete, and it places a burden on your family if they do not have the knowledge and/or experience to see it through. Our office can be very instrumental in advising and assisting you.

After we review your estate, we may recommend that your estate would be better suited to have a trust. In a living trust, your assets and property are handled by a trustee whom you appoint. This avoids probate entirely. Your assets are already distributed to the trust exactly as you wish them to be.

Here at Heit Law Group, we understand that preparing for the future can be difficult. Our firm is here to help you understand the process and get you through it. Call us today to schedule a free consultation with an estate-planning attorney.