Wills, Trusts & Estates Helena, Alabama

Do you have a plan for the conservation and distribution of your assets?

If you care about the financial security of your loved ones, then having a will is a necessity.

What is an Estate?

An estate is defined as any property (real and personal) that is owned by you. So, if you own a home, have a savings or retirement account, or own a business, you have an estate.
If you do not have a plan for your estate, the assets that you have worked so hard to accumulate may be subject to unnecessary taxes, may be distributed upon your death according to state law instead of to whom you would like, or take years to sort out in probate.

What can we do for you?

We understand that each client's estate planning objectives are different and we will work with you to create a plan tailored to your specific needs while navigating you through the state and federal laws and regulations that can affect a sound plan. We can handle all aspects of your estate planning including:

• Wills
• Living Wills and Healthcare Surrogates
• Durable Powers of Attorney
• Revocable and Irrevocable Trust Agreements
• Life Insurance Trusts
• Business Succession and Liquidity Planning

Are you a personal representative or a beneficiary of an estate?

Whether or not the decedent had a Will, the primary way to transfer assets from the name of the deceased to the beneficiaries is to go through the probate process.

• Probate, the court's oversight of the distribution of the estate's assets, is generally needed to gain access to bank accounts or to re-title real property.
• This process may seem simple, but it can often touch on sensitive family issues and can become difficult to manage. In the state of Alabama, this process should never be attempted without the assistance of an attorney.

We work with clients throughout the state of Alabama as well as with out-of-state heirs and personal representatives to ensure that all aspects of estate administration come to resolution as quickly as possible.
We understand the need to handle these matters delicately and promptly, and we offer the proper guidance to our clients throughout this complicated, yet necessary process. We are typically called upon to handle:

• Full, Summary and Ancillary proceedings
• Identification and collection of the decedent's assets
• Preparation of Federal Estate Tax Returns
• Trust administration

We offer affordable estate planning packages and are happy to include powers of attorney and health care directives at no additional cost when you purchase a will. Contact a Wills, Trusts & Estates Lawyer at Alabama Law Services, LLC in Helena, Alabama for any of your wills, trusts & estates needs.