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Estate Planning Is An Opportunity, Not A Chore

Living life well is all about planning. We plan our education, our career, our ideal home, and we make plans for those we love. But when it comes to the important work of planning an estate, too many of us procrastinate or avoid it. This is understandable, given that none of us want to contemplate our own mortality. If you avoid estate planning, however, you miss an opportunity to truly help those you love and to preserve the assets you’ve worked so hard to earn over your lifetime.

Thankfully, estate planning doesn’t have to be a chore or even unpleasant. When you hire Schnauss Naugle Law, you’ll have an attorney who will guide you through the process efficiently and intelligently, always remaining focused on your needs and goals. With proper planning, you can be sure you’re leaving clear instructions about your assets and property, reducing burdens on your beneficiaries and minimizing estate taxes.

What Should Be Included In Your Estate Plan?

Each plan is customizable and should be tailored to fit your needs. However, common aspects of estate plans include:

  • A will: List your assets and name your beneficiaries clearly and unambiguously.
  • Revocable living trust or minor’s trust: These legal instruments give you a lot of control over how and when your assets are passed on to beneficiaries.
  • A living will: Specifying your wishes for emergency and end-of-life medical care if you become unable to make or communicate those wishes yourself.
  • A health care surrogate: The designation of someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are incapacitated and need care that isn’t specified in your living will.

In addition to the legal instruments above, we can discuss other strategies and considerations that may impact you, including

  • Durable power of attorney
  • Probate avoidance strategies
  • Preparation of Enhanced Life Estate Deeds (also known as “Lady Bird Deeds”) that allow real estate to pass to the listed beneficiary outside of probate

Keeping Your Plan Up To Date

Families and circumstances change over time. The earlier you make your estate plan, the more likely it is that you’ll need to update it. Thankfully, our firm makes it quick and easy to amend your estate planning documents whenever you experience a significant change or life event.

Contact Us To Get Started

Katherine Schnauss Naugle, is based in Jacksonville and serves clients throughout the surrounding counties in Northeast Florida. To arrange your initial consultation with an experienced estate planning attorney, call us at (904) 643-6342 or send us an email.