Do You Have a Plan for the Unexpected?
Have you considered, with complete certainty, what would happen legally and financially to you, your loved ones, and everything you own if something unexpected happened?
Even if you have an estate plan, an outdated plan can result in your assets being lost to the state's unclaimed property division or tied up in a public court process. An experienced estate attorney can help ensure your plan reflects your current wishes and complies with state law. Without a plan, the state already has one for you, and it is unlikely to match your wishes.
The bottom line is this: if you are unsure about what would happen to your family and your assets, the first step is to gain a clear understanding of your current situation. Once you know where you stand, you can decide whether your current arrangements meet your needs—ideally with guidance from a qualified estate law attorney.
Our Estate Planning Law Firm Helps you protect What Matters Most
We begin with a Life & Legacy Planning Session, designed to give you clarity and information. Prior to this session, you will complete your Life & Legacy Inventory & Assessment. This process helps you identify all your assets and think through important considerations regarding the care of your loved ones and the distribution of your estate with the guidance of an experienced estate lawyer.
If the session shows your current plan isn't quite meeting your needs, and we're the right fit for you, we'll create a customized estate plan for your family. For many clients, this plan includes a revocable living trust, which, when properly drafted, maintained, and funded, helps your family avoid public probate proceedings.
For families with more complex needs, we provide advanced estate planning strategies to ensure full protection and peace of mind.
Why DIY Estate Plans Often Fall Short
Many people ask whether they can handle estate planning themselves. While DIY solutions may seem convenient, they often fail to address the unique complexities of your situation. Most DIY plans are simply software templates that guide you through automated questions. The resulting documents rarely reflect your specific needs and can create unintended consequences.
Most people tell us they want to keep things simple. We always ask, “Simple for who?”
It is very simple to ask AI to draft an estate plan for you, or use an online template, but this approach leaves too many questions unanswered, creates documents that conflict with each other, and often results in ineffective execution. This may mean the plan won't work when your family needs it, which is cause for concern. Surprisingly and unfortunately, these online and DIY plans can end up being the most expensive and time-consuming plans to administer in the probate court!
Professional guidance is essential. The true value of working with an estate planning attorney is not only in the quality of the documents themselves, but in the advice and decisions incorporated into them.
For families with more complex needs, we also provide advanced estate planning strategies to ensure full protection and peace of mind.
Professional Estate Planning Attorney You Can Trust
As your Personal Family Lawyer® firm, we take the time to get to know you, your family, your goals, and your concerns. We love to hear and answer your questions and work with you to design an estate plan that protects your loved ones, keeps them out of court, and avoids unnecessary conflict. Whether you're doing estate planning in Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina or anywhere in the Triangle, every plan is tailored to your circumstances to ensure that your wishes are honored and your family is secure.