Estate Planning Lawyer Shreveport, LA
If you have drafted a will at some point in your life, you are leaps and bounds ahead of millions of adults in the U.S. when it comes to the estate planning process. With that said, if your will is your only estate planning tool and/or your estate plan is incomplete, out of date, or otherwise insufficient for your needs, it is time to reinvest in the process of planning for the future.
The dedicated legal team and support staff at Theus Law Offices understand that processing the idea that you won’t always be around to provide for your loved ones and manage your own affairs is far easier said than done. However, it is important to face the uncomfortable reality that you may face incapacitation as a result of illness or injury someday and that at some point, you will pass away. Planning ahead will help to ensure that your loved ones aren’t unnecessarily burdened with legal, practical, and financial stresses because you will have taken much of this weight off of their shoulders. Planning ahead will also help to ensure that your wishes are clearly articulated, legally enforceable, and ultimately respected.
Estate Planning Lawyer Shreveport, LA
It is important to connect with an experienced Shreveport, LA estate planning lawyer both at the start of your estate planning process, and when you need to make adjustments to your estate planning documentation due to significant shifts in your needs, priorities, and/or circumstances. Estate plans are meant to function as “living documents.” This means that the creator of the estate plan in question can alter or update their plan in virtually any way (with the notable exception of some kinds of trusts) as often as is necessary to preserve the integrity and ensure the accuracy of the plan in question.
What Does a Comprehensive Estate Plan Consist Of?
There are several elements that, together, make up the foundation of a comprehensive estate plan. Certainly, if you own high-value assets or have a particularly complex portfolio, your estate plan may be extensive. However, most legally independent adults should have the following updated documents in place at all times, regardless of whether they own substantially valuable property or not:
- A will and/or living trust
- An advance healthcare directive
- Power of attorney designations: Medical, financial, and/or general
- Guardianship designations for minor children, dependent adult children, and/or pets
- Digital estate planning instructions
Additionally, it is generally a good idea to name an estate administrator (and some alternate choices in case your first pick cannot or will not fulfill this role) in your estate plan so that there is no question as to whom you wish to manage your affairs after you’re gone.
Legal Assistance Is Available
If you have not updated your estate plan in some time, if your estate plan is incomplete, or if you have yet to draft an estate plan, connect with the experienced Louisiana legal team at Theus Law Offices today for guidance and support. We look forward to speaking with you.