In California, if you die without a will or trust in place, state law will determine how your assets are distributed. If you don’t plan ahead and implement the correct legal documents to protect your estate, you will have no control over how it is administered.
The Rancho Santa Fe estate planning attorneys at Avant Law Corporation can help you create the right legal documents to meet your unique needs. We offer free consultations to clients in Rancho Santa Fe from our local La Jolla law office.
Why Choose a Rancho Santa Fe Trusts & Wills Lawyer ay Avant Law?
- Our Rancho Santa Fe trust and will attorneys have over 200 years of combined experience.
- You will benefit from excellent responsiveness and direct communication with your attorney.
- We have a reputation for providing impeccable attention to detail.
- Our attorneys are relentlessly dedicated to achieving our clients’ asset protection goals.
- We offer free initial meetings about trusts, wills, and estate planning in Rancho Santa Fe.
The Benefits of Hiring an Attorney for Trusts and Wills in Rancho Santa Fe
If you pass away without a will or trust in place, California law will give a judge the right to determine the beneficiaries of your estate. This may be a spouse, domestic partner, children, parents, or other family members. If you have a will but it was not completed with help from an attorney, it could be at risk of being ruled legally invalid, which can send your estate to probate court.
California has strict laws in place for trusts and wills. Hiring an experienced attorney in Rancho Santa Fe can ensure that you follow all of them and have legally valid documents that will stand up in court when you need them to. Your lawyer will guide you through the right types of trusts for your needs, concerns, and circumstances with services tailored to you.
What Is a Will?
A will is a legal and binding document that states directives for how an estate will be administered after the individual’s death or incapacitation. It can name an executor of the estate, state how an individual wants his or her assets to be handled, name beneficiaries, organize charitable donations, name guardians for children under 18, and provide funeral and burial instructions.
Types of Trusts
A trust is a legal arrangement where a trustee is named to hold and manage property for the benefit of another person (the beneficiary) on behalf of the creator (grantor). There are several types of trusts that can be used to address an individual’s unique needs, whether that’s diminishing estate taxation or avoiding probate.
The most common types in California include:
- Revocable living trust
- Irrevocable trust
- Disclaimer trust
- Asset protection trust
- Charitable trust
- Special needs trust
- QPRT (qualified personal residence trust)
- QTIP (qualified terminable interest property) trust
- Spendthrift trust
- Bypass/credit shelter trust
- GRAT (grantor-retained annuity trust)
- Life insurance trust
A revocable living trust is the most common type. It is a trust that you can update or revoke at any time. It allows you to transfer ownership of your assets to a trust that you remain in charge of until you die or become incapacitated, at which point your appointed trustee will manage or distribute your assets according to your instructions. This type of trust can enable you to avoid probate.
Request a Free Trust & Wills Consultation in Rancho Santa Fe at Avant Law Corporation
You deserve control over how your hard-earned assets, businesses, investments, income, and properties are handled after your death or incapacitation. Create a will and trusts that can give you peace of mind with help from the Avant Law Corporation trusts and wills attorneys in Rancho Santa Fe.
We will use premier estate planning tools to achieve your goals for the future. Contact us today at (888) 619-2826 to learn more during a free case evaluation in Rancho Santa Fe.