Wills and Probate / Estate Planning

Probate includes all of the processes concerning the protection of assets and transfer of those assets between generations, including the creation of wills and trusts in the planning stage, and probate procedures required to effect those asset transfers after a person passes from this life.

All adults should have a will, even if they do not believe that they have any substantive assets, because a wrongful death might bring with it a substantive claim and funds that the now-deceased individual would want to have distributed in a particular way. With a will, a person can ensure that his wishes are followed with minimal drama between family members. Additionally, a will can give its executor the power to sell property and handle estate assets without obtaining a court’s approval beforehand – saving the estate many months of work and halving the cost of administration.

Living Wills are a common name for a document to give instructions regarding a person’s end-of-life decisions. Medical power of attorneys are also involved. These instructions can be changed or revoked at any time.

The biggest struggle we see in our office regarding these advanced directives is that the timing; people recognize a need for the documents when their competency may be questioned and a person might challenge a will, advanced directive, or power of attorney which is created on the cusp of serious illness or death.

Norred Law recommends that all adults have a will and medical power of attorney, and a review of those documents every few years and after every major family change.

Call us at 817-704-3984 to learn how we can help or schedule an appointment.