Indio Estate Planning Lawyer

Indio is a city located in Riverside County in Southern California. Indio has been nicknamed the City of Festivals due to the numerous cultural effects held in the city, including the Coachella Music Festival. Creating an estate plan can help you protect your assets and ensure your wishes are followed after you pass away. Attorney Christopher Heritage provides comprehensive estate planning services to residents and businesses in Indio and the greater Palm Springs area.

Contact an Estate Planning Attorney in Indio

Whether you need to create an estate plan or have questions about another legal matter, Attorney Christopher Heritage is here to help. He stays on top of local and federal estate planning laws, providing his clients with up-to-date, savvy legal representation. Christopher Heritage guides clients through the estate planning process, from estate planning to probate administration. Contact him today to schedule your free consultation and learn more about your legal options.

Estate Planning Services in Indio

Taking time to create an estate plan can help you protect your assets, prepare for the future, and ensure your assets are distributed to the beneficiaries you designate. When a person passes away without a will or a trust, a California probate court will distribute his or her assets according to state intestacy laws. As a result, the deceased individual’s assets could be given to a beneficiary he or she wouldn’t have selected.
 
Most Americans do not have an estate plan in place. Creating an estate plan can seem overwhelming, especially because it involves thinking about the future and making emotional decisions. You do not have to go through the estate planning process alone. Attorney Christopher Heritage uses an empathetic approach while guiding clients through the decisions they’ll need to make.

Creating a Will or Trust-Based Estate Plan

Estate plans are not only useful for the wealthy or those of advanced age. Instead, everyone over the age of 18 benefits from creating an estate plan. A simple will-based estate plan may meet your needs depending on your unique circumstances. If you have a complex or high-value estate, utilizing a trust-based estate plan may be the best strategy for you. After carefully reviewing your goals and financial situation, attorney Christopher Heritage can help you decide whether a will-based or trust-based estate plan will work best for you.

Probate/Estate Administration

When a person passes away without an estate plan, a California probate court will distribute his or her assets according to California intestacy laws. Going through the probate process can be complex and time-consuming. One way to allow your beneficiaries to avoid the probate process is to create a trust-based estate plan. When you set up a trust, your assets can be automatically distributed to your beneficiaries when you pass away. Many different types of trusts can be used to meet your specific needs and goals. For example, charitable trusts can help you lower your tax burden while providing assets to your favorite charity.
 
If you’ve been appointed as an estate executor, working with an attorney can help you protect yourself. Many different legal issues can arise during the process. A beneficiary or potential beneficiary has the right to bring a claim against you personally for failure to meet your fiduciary duties as an executor, putting your personal assets in jeopardy. Attorney Christopher Heritage can help guide you through the probate process, helping you fulfill all of your duties.

Estate Tax Planning

Avoiding paying unnecessary taxes is one of the critical goals of estate planning. A federal estate tax will be imposed when an individual’s estate is valued at over $12,060,000. If your estate is subjected to the federal estate tax, you could lose 40 percent of your estate to the federal government. 
 
Attorney Christopher Heritage will evaluate your current estate plan and use effective strategies to decrease your tax liability. You may be able to avoid paying expensive estate taxes by making tax-free gifts to your loved ones to lower your estate’s value. Additionally, you may be able to pursue tax exemptions. Tax planning is crucial for those with high-value assets, who live in multiple states, or have other complicating issues.

Business Estate Planning

Business estate planning is crucial for family business owners. A business succession plan will allow for a smooth transition if the head of the business passes away or becomes incapacitated. It can be difficult, if not impossible, for other family members to keep the business afloat financially without an effective business succession plan.
 
Attorney Christopher Heritage uses effective legal strategies to protect family businesses in Indio. He can help you structure your business succession plan to allow family members to continue earning an income. A succession plan also allows you to appoint an interim manager who will operate the business until a permanent successor can be appointed. Creating a business estate plan will help your family business to thrive during unexpected circumstances.

Special Needs Planning

Families with loved ones who have special needs face unique challenges regarding estate planning. Parents may think that they can provide for their loved ones with special needs through a lump sum after passing away. However, doing so could make their child ineligible for important public benefits, such as health insurance. Setting up a special needs trust will protect the family member’s eligibility while providing them with the extra funds to live a full life. Taking time to play now can help you protect your loved one and provide for his or her future.

Schedule Your Free Consultation With an Indio Estate Planning Attorney 

If you are interested in creating an estate plan or need legal representation in another legal matter, look no further than Heritage Legal, PC. Attorney Christopher Heritage represents clients in various estate and probate matters. At your initial consultation, he will listen carefully to your goals and guide you through the process of creating a comprehensive estate plan. Contact Heritage Legal, PC today to schedule your free initial consultation.