Estate Planning Dedicated to protecting your family's legacy for years to come.

Estate Planning Attorneys Based in Beatrice

Creating Legally Sound Estate Plans for Residents of Jefferson, Saline, Gage, Johnson, & Lancaster Counties
 

The goal of estate planning is to carry out your wishes regarding the distribution of your property after you die.  It can be as simple as executing a Will or it might involve a more complicated issue, such as family farm preservation and tax planning.  In either case, the importance of having Power of Attorney documents cannot be overstressed.  Health care and finances often are important issues later in life, especially if you become incapacitated.  Proper estate planning is not just about your property, it is also about your quality of life.

Contact our firm at (402) 969-6199 and we will help you determine the best estate planning tools for your situation. 

Wills

A Last Will and Testament is the most common document used to pass property to heirs.  The best reason to have a Will is that it allows you to decide how your property passes to your beneficiaries.  For those who do not have a Will, the state in which you reside has laws of intestate (meaning not having a Will) succession, which will distribute your property for you.  Your property may or may not be distributed the way you wanted it done if you have no Will.  

In addition, having a Will relieves your loved ones of the burden of unnecessary court hearings and may eliminate family disagreements.  

Trust

There are many reasons why a person may want a Trust.  

Major reasons to create a Trust are to:

  • Avoid the probate of your estate upon your death
  • Pay less in federal estate taxes
  • Control the amount and timing of money received by a beneficiary and holding real estate

There are many ways that a Trust can control property after your death, limited only by your imagination.  Anything you can express, we can draft in simple, easy to understand language.  

Trusts can also hold property for grandchildren or other beneficiaries while distributing the income to children during their lifetimes.  A Trust formed under Nebraska law can have perpetual existence to hold land or money for many generations.  A prime consideration for a Trust is to avoid having a conservator appointed for you if you become disabled in the future.  A Trust may or may not benefit your situation.  We can assess your objectives and situation and advise you what the best course of action will be for both you and your beneficiaries.

Durable Power of Attorney

A Durable Power of Attorney is used to allow someone to make business decisions for you while you are alive.  

Your attorney-in-fact will be able to:

  • Pay bills from your checking account
  • Collect money owed to you
  • Sell real estate
  • A variety of other business activities

Further, your attorney-in-fact is first in line to appointed as your guardian or conservator if the need should arise.  Keep in mind that the Durable Power of Attorney is only in effect while you are alive.  After your death, your Personal Representative takes over as manager of your estate.  This is why we suggest that your attorney-in-fact and your personal representative be the same person.

Healthcare Power of Attorney

The Healthcare Power of Attorney (HPOA) has become an essential document in estate planning.  The HPOA, along with the Living Will, are often referred to as “advanced directives”.  The HPOA allows someone to make health care decisions for you, but only if you can’t make that decision yourself.  This could involve a life-or-death decision.  

In addition, a properly drafted HPOA contains provisions allowing your loved ones to obtain medical information about you.  Imagine the feelings of a child who rushes to the hospital only to be told by a health care professional that they are not allowed to release any medical information to them about their own parent.

Living Will

The Living Will is a directive to your doctor that if you are in a persistent vegetative state or being kept alive only by machines, then your doctor should unplug the machines and let you die a natural death.  Our Living Will requires that 2 doctors have the same diagnosis that there is no hope for a recovery.  It also provides that a No Code be issued only after the decision is made to unplug the machines.

For detailed information on estate plans, contact our firm at (402) 969-6199 or fill out our online form today

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