Estate Planning Attorney in Birmingham, AL

Representing Clients with Estate Planning Needs in Hoover and Throughout Alabama

All too often, people who do not fully understand the value of preventative and comprehensive estate planning forgo such planning, and are left without adequate recourse in the event of some unexpected situation resulting in incapacity or death. Popular perception is that estate planning is the sole purview of the old, the wealthy, and the ill — the image of a rich man signing their Last Will and Testament on their deathbed is one that has been burned into the retinas of Americans over the years. This could not be farther from the truth, however. Comprehensive estate planning is an important and valuable consideration for nearly all Americans, from working class families, to young couples, to single professionals, and everything in between.

To understand why estate planning is so critical, it’s necessary that you understand just how significant and extensive the effects of estate planning (and the lack thereof) are in the event something unexpected occurs.

Let’s take a look.

Estate Planning in Alabama: More Than Just Assets

Comprehensive estate planning involves more than just determining the distribution of assets to your desired beneficiaries (the people who will receive your property) after death. In fact, proper estate planning must take into account a variety of situations that do not involve fatal incidents at all.

Estate planning can help you to:

• Identify, appraise, and distribute your assets to your desired beneficiaries.
• Avoid probate, which can be expensive, inefficient, and complicated.
• Prevent conflicts between beneficiaries.
• Reduce tax liabilities.
• Identify your healthcare preferences and direct your family and various healthcare professionals to treat you in accordance with such preferences.
• Create protected trusts to help ensure that your loved ones have sufficient funds for their education, healthcare, living expenses, and more.
• Select a trusted person or entity to manage your assets and healthcare in the event that you are rendered incompetent or otherwise incapacitated due to injuries or illness.
• Provide for charitable giving.
• Plan for the care of a disabled loved one who has special needs.
• Ensure that your estate matters are kept private, rather than exposed to the public at-large.
• Protect assets from creditors.
• And much more.

Estate planning documents include, but are not limited, to:

• Wills
• Revocable Trusts
• Irrevocable Trusts
• Power of Attorney
• Medical Directives
• And more.

Though most people unfamiliar with estate planning assume that it is solely for executing the distribution of assets after death, this seriously underestimates the broad application of comprehensive estate planning.

For example, suppose that you and your wife are relatively young and healthy, and have just given birth to your first child. Even if you have not built up substantial monetary or real estate property assets, comprehensive estate planning will allow you to create a trust to provide some amount of financial resources for your child’s health, education, and care as they grow older, in the event that you are rendered incapacitated or dead. You may also want to set up a trust to avoid probate, so that your surviving loved ones can receive necessary assets as soon as possible, rather than wading through an inefficient probate process to do so.

Call a Knowledgeable Hoover, AL Estate Planning Lawyer

Comprehensive estate planning that is customized to your particular circumstances demands the efforts of a skilled estate planning attorney with years of experience helping individuals and families prepare for their futures.

Attorney Daniel H. Chambers has dedicated his career to helping clients successfully resolve their various family law and estate planning issues. He understands that comprehensive estate planning for can be a difficult and overwhelming process and is personally available to answer any questions or concerns you may have throughout the process. To discuss your concerns with a Hoover, Alabama estate planning lawyer, contact Daniel H. Chambers, Attorney-at-Law, PC by calling 205-913-4057. You can also schedule your initial consultation by contacting Attorney Chambers online.