In
Sacramento, people should ideally need an attorney only for “routine”
specifics in their estate affairs. They can have their wills reviewed
by an attorney to check if everything and everyone is covered.
Additionally, they may consult a lawyer to ensure a smooth transition
of their estate to beneficiaries.
In
reality, people may need an estate
planning attorney for more than the
reasons above.
In California, for
example, the law requires an estate to go through a court process
called probate. That applies if the estate has a $150,000 value or
more, does not have a beneficiary, and is not in a trust. During
probate, all assets of an estate will be subject to administrative
court, attorney-mandated, and other costs– costs that people surely
wish to avoid.
Moreover,
there are plenty of stories out there of families involved in estate
issues. A family member may disagree with the terms of a will.
Another one might be involved in affairs that doubt his or her
ability to carry out the estate’s terms. An array of issues can
occur, some of which can be resolved by involving an estate planning
attorney or so.
There's
no one alive who can't potentially experience any kind of issue with
their estate. Fortunately, attorneys who take care of estate planning
issues stand ready to help them.
