Cleburne TX Wills & Trusts Attorney

Encouraging Proactive Planning For Your Estate

When it comes to estate planning, as with so many other things in life, the first step is often the hardest. Maybe you have been thinking about your and your family's future for some time and have decided that now is the time to act. Perhaps the death of a close relative or other loved one has given you a new perspective on the importance of smart legal planning. Maybe you already have a will or other estate planning documents but need to revise them in light of changed fortunes in your life. Fortunately, by taking the right steps, you can make sure you and your family will be prepared for whatever you may encounter in the years to come.

Whatever has you seeking the services of a lawyer now, the attorneys of Cain & Kiel Law can offer you legal help that is experienced, compassionate, and focused on your long-term goals. We understand that talking with a lawyer about personal, intimate matters is difficult. That is why we place as much emphasis on making our clients comfortable and easing their concerns as we do on providing sound legal advice and well-crafted estate documents. We will help you understand your options and guide you through the process of creating a comprehensive estate plan that will meet your family's needs.

A Will Is the Foundation of Your Estate Plan

The keystone of most estate plans is a comprehensive last will and testament. In this document, you can determine how you would like your personal property to be distributed to your heirs after your death. You can make very specific gifts to certain relatives or other important people in your life, or you can leave general gifts to loved ones and other groups by allocating specific percentages or dollar amounts to different beneficiaries. A will puts you in charge of how your assets will be treated when the time comes, and it also gives your family important guidance on how to handle your estate in accordance with your wishes. By providing clear instructions, you can ensure that your assets will be handled properly while avoiding potential disputes or will contests.

Determine Whether a Trust Can Help Meet Your Goals

If you have a larger asset portfolio, specific estate planning goals, blended families, or even unique tax considerations, we can also review whether your estate plan would benefit from one or several trusts. A trust is a legal arrangement in which you (as the grantor or settlor) transfer ownership of property to a trustee, who then manages the property for the benefit of your chosen beneficiary or beneficiaries. Trusts can be used to achieve different objectives, such as avoiding probate, minimizing estate taxes, or providing for the needs of different beneficiaries.

Some of the most common trusts we help our clients draft and execute include:

• Living trusts - A revocable living trust will allow you to manage your assets during your lifetime. You can be the trustee of your own living trust, which means that you retain control over the property that is held in the trust and use your assets to provide for your own needs. You can also appoint a successor trustee who will assume control of the trust after your death and provide instructions for how your assets should be distributed to your beneficiaries.
• Testamentary trusts - This type of trust is created through your will and only goes into effect after your death. A testamentary trust can be used to ensure that your assets will be distributed to your heirs according to your wishes.
• Special needs trusts - With this type of trust, you can provide for the care of a disabled family member without jeopardizing their government benefits.
• Spendthrift trusts - These trusts can be used to protect your assets from being squandered by a beneficiary who is not financially responsible or to ensure that assets will not be available to creditors who are looking to collect the debts owed to them.
• Irrevocable life insurance trusts - This type of trust can be used to hold a life insurance policy and ensure that the proceeds from the policy are not subject to estate taxes.
• Small business succession planning - With our experience in business law, we can help business owners address ownership of their companies and ensure that a business will be able to continue operating successfully after the owner's retirement or death.

There is more to an estate plan than wills and trusts. As part of our comprehensive counsel, we will also guide you through the creation of living wills, powers of attorney, and other documents that give you and your loved ones well-deserved peace of mind.

Contact Our Johnson County Wills and Trusts Attorneys

Wills and trusts are an important part of any estate plan. To discuss your specific estate planning needs with an experienced lawyer, contact us online or call our office at 817-645-1717. We assist those across Johnson County and its surrounding areas, including Cleburne, Bosque County, Weatherford, Fort Worth, Hill County, Hood County, Tarrant County, Granbury, Hillsboro, Stephenville, and Parker County.