Heritage Legal, PC is a Rancho Mirage estate planning law firm dedicated to providing our clients with high-quality, valuable estate planning services. Founding attorney Christopher Heritage recognizes the diversity and uniqueness of the Rancho Mirage community. He takes pride in tailoring estate plans to each client’s situation.
Discuss Your Estate Plan with an Experienced Rancho Mirage Attorney
You’ve spent your life building your assets. Creating a solid estate plan will help you protect them when you can no longer do so yourself. Rancho Mirage estate planning attorney Christopher Heritage provides a wide range of estate planning, including will preparation, living trusts, probate services, singles, couples, and families. If you have questions about estate planning, contact Heritage Legal, PC, to schedule your initial consultation.
Rancho Mirage Wills Attorney
Many Americans do not have a last will and testament. When a person passes away without a valid will, the probate court will distribute his or her assets according to California probate law. If you do not have a will in place, the probate court could distribute your assets to a person or people to whom you wouldn’t choose to receive your assets. Creating a will is the first step in ensuring your assets are distributed according to your wishes.
Trust-Based Estate Planning Attorney in Rancho Mirage
A trust can be an effective estate planning tool. A properly drafted and executed trust allows you to transfer your wealth to your surviving loved ones expediently after you pass away. Unlike with a will, your loved ones won’t need to go through the probate process to receive assets in your estate. You can create a trust that distributes the proceeds of the trust to your beneficiaries quickly after you pass away.
There are many different types of trusts that can be tailored to your specific needs and goals, including special needs trusts, charitable trusts, revocable trusts, spendthrift trusts, and irrevocable trusts. If you’re interested in using a trust to meet your estate planning goals, attorney Christopher Heritage is ready to help. He will answer your questions and help you create a trust that meets your unique goals.
Probate and Trust Administration Attorney
You may feel overwhelmed if you’ve been appointed executor of your friend or family member’s estate. In California, estate executors have a legal duty to manage the decedent’s estate effectively. They are required to notify children of the decedent, pay creditors, collect assets, secure property appraisals, prepare court documents, liquidate assets, and more. When executors don’t fulfill all of their duties, even unintentionally, they open themselves up to liability. You don’t need to go through the process alone. Attorney Christopher Heritage can help you fulfill all of your obligations as an executor.
Similarly, if you’ve been appointed as a trustee, attorney Christopher Heritage can help you fulfill your obligations. Trustees must manage the assets in the trust effectively to benefit the beneficiaries. He can assist you with all the trust administration issues you may encounter if you have questions about trust accounting, creditor claims, trust liquidation, or the distribution of assets. He provides clients with trustworthy guidance for navigating the trust administration process.
Probate Litigation Attorney
During the probate process, numerous types of disputes can arise. After a loved one’s death, surviving family members feel a wide range of emotions. The conflict between family members can escalate, especially when a family member who is expected to inherit property learns he or she is a beneficiary. Conflicts regarding the decedent’s will or trust can lead to litigation. Some of the most common types of litigation include the following: breach of fiduciary duty, will contests, inheritance disputes, the valuation of assets, and other matters.
Advance Health Care Planning Attorney
Creating a will or trust is an important aspect of estate planning. Nonetheless, no estate plan is complete without advance health care planning. California residents should create an advanced health care directive that will enable them to protect themselves should they become incapacitated due to an accident or illness.
When you create an advance health care directive, you can appoint a health care agent to make medical decisions on your behalf after you become incapacitated. You can also state which types of medical treatments you’d like to receive or not receive in end-of-life situations. Thinking about end-of-life situations is never easy. Attorney Christopher Heritage takes an empathetic approach when discussing these matters with clients.
Durable Powers of Attorney
A durable power of attorney allows you to designate a person you trust to handle specific types of financial matters on your behalf. If you become incapacitated, the person you appoint as your durable power of attorney can pay your bills, collect payments, sell property, and engage in other necessary financial matters on your behalf. Without a durable power of attorney, your loved ones must go to court to obtain authorization to handle your financial affairs should you become incapacitated. Durable powers of attorney are important in estate planning because they allow someone you trust to care for your financial needs.
Rancho Mirage Long-Term Care Planning Attorney
Estate plans should also include long-term care planning. The cost of nursing home care continues to increase every year. Many California nursing homes cost over $10,000 per month. Attorney Christopher Heritage can work with you to create a plan that allows you to pay for nursing home care without draining your hard-earned assets.
Creating a trust can help you qualify for MediCal benefits covering nursing home care. The sooner you create a long-term care plan, the better. MediCal has a five-year lookback period, so we recommend being proactive regarding this aspect of your estate plan.
Reach Out to a Rancho Mirage Estate Planning Attorney
Attorney Christopher Heritage of Heritage Legal, PC is dedicated to providing estate planning services in Rancho Mirage and Southern California. He uses his decades of legal experience to advise clients on making effective estate planning choices. He provides effective legal counsel for many different types of estate planning needs, including wills, trusts, advance health care directives, and more. Contact Heritage Legal, PC today to schedule your initial consultation. |