Creating a comprehensive California Estate Plan is generally wise and also a kind act to do for those loved ones that you leave behind. Death can be tragic and emotionally draining. Your loved ones will benefit from having legally sufficient California Estate Planning papers pre-prepared for the eventuality. Your loved ones will not have to worry about immediate financial concerns or about “who is getting what.”
The costs of having experienced California Estate Planning attorneys craft your unique California Estate Plan are actually quite reasonable. The cost of a simple California Last Will and Testament ranges from $300 to $1,000. This includes consultation with a California Estate Planning lawyer and advice and counsel on what should be included in your Will. This also includes drafting your Will and ensuring that your Will is properly executed and that the original is securely stored for the future. Yes, it is possible to use online and internet templates. But hiring experienced California Estate Planning attorneys — like those at the Guardian Litigation Group — avoids the hassle of online services and provides the peace of mind of knowing your Will was correctly drafted and is legally valid in California. Further, at the Guardian Litigation Group, your consultations and your Estate Planning documents are completely confidential. Despite what online services say, given cyber-hacking and other cyber-crime, there is no guarantee of confidentiality when you use online services.
California Estate Planning Law Firms also provide more comprehensive services. For example, a basic Estate Planning package — for those with a minimal Estate — includes the following documents;
- Basic Last Will and Testament
- HIPAA authorization papers — for access to confidential health care records
- Financial and health care/ medical Powers of Attorney — for health care and financial matters if you are mentally incapacitated
- Living Wills (Advance Directives) — for providing instructions with respect to being resuscitated and whether you want to be kept alive via machines if you are in a vegetative state
A basic package of this sort costs from $1,000 to $1,500, depending on complexity.
For those with substantial assets and a need for sophisticated Estate Planning services, those legal services are generally invoiced as hourly billing ranging from $400 to $600 an hour, depending on the experience of the attorney and the complexity of the legal issues. For example, creating a Living Revocable Trust is one Estate Planning vehicle that will cost significantly more. A Living Trust allows high-value assets to be placed into the Trust. This allows those assets to avoid being probated in California courts. This significantly reduces statutory probate fees and eases the post-death transfer of ownership.
Estate Planning that involves the creation of testamentary trusts and guardianships will also have higher legal costs. But, again, the increased costs are essential to ensure the legal validity of the instruments created via the Will.
Contact Our Experienced Irvine, CA, Estate Planning Attorneys
For more information, contact the Irvine, California, Estate Planning attorneys at Guardian Litigation Group. Our Mission is to provide unparalleled Estate Planning legal services for our clients. We can be reached via our contact page or by phone at (949) 444-5474. We are located in Irvine, California.
