Components of an Estate Plan

The Essential Estate Planning Documents

An estate plan includes many different documents, but there are certain items that should be included in every basic estate plan. These documents must be properly drafted, in order to be seen as valid in the eyes of the California court system.

If you wish to create an estate plan, it is essential that you hire an attorney who has experience with drafting estate planning documents. The Law Offices of Timothy D. Henry has helped dozens of clients create estate plans, as well as amend previously drafted plans. If you live in San Jose or Santa Clara, please schedule an appointment with the San Jose probate and estate planning attorney at my firm.

What Your Estate Plan Needs

Wills and trusts are extremely important components of an estate plan. In a will, a person may elect a guardian for their minor or incapacitated loved one, as well as an executor. An executor is a person who will be in charge of managing and distributing the person who created the will's property after they pass away. Trusts can safeguard certain assets and properties, and some items placed in the trust may avoid the probate process after the grantor passes away.

Advance health care directives are also essential estate planning documents. They allow a person to express their wishes in regards to certain types of medical procedures, in the event that they become incapacitated. Medical directives may be in the form of living wills or powers of attorney, and a person may wish to have both, to ensure that their wishes are followed. Planning for a situation where an individual may need a medical directive is depressing, and I am aware of the sensitive nature that is required for drafting such documents.

Are you missing any of these documents?

If you do not have an estate plan or are missing a will, trusts, or medical directives in your current estate plan, please contact me at the Law Offices of Timothy D. Henry. Not only may I help you draft the essential estate planning documents, but I may also assist clients to get their affairs and paperwork in order. Clients and I can discuss their funeral arrangements, and draft a separate document that states such wishes. The more documents an estate plan has, the easier it is for loved ones to know your wishes.