Estate Planning Attorney Chatsworth, CA

Important Answers & Info about Powers of Attorney

Many people are aware that comprehensive estate planning is critical for ensuring that their lifetime assets — whether in the form of real estate investments, savings accounts, life insurance proceeds, retirement accounts, or personal property, among other things — are distributed to the correct beneficiaries in the correct proportions. It is also well understood that proper estate planning can minimize tax liabilities in large estates.

Of course, estate planning can be complicated, even for estates that don’t contain large amounts of assets. As of 2018, the glut of cheap, generic estate planning solutions online has fooled many into thinking that effective estate planning is a basic process that requires an hour or two on a lazy Sunday afternoon. In reality, however, effective estate planning is a collaborative and comprehensive effort that demands a more personalized consideration of one’s estate assets and strategic objectives. People may save a few hundred dollars by doing their own estate planning or working with a non-attorney estate planner, but those savings frequently result in huge losses to their beneficiaries. Poor estate plans often lead to unintended results, and frequently result in lawsuits among beneficiaries that can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Chatsworth Area Estate Planning Attorney Can Help You Develop an Airtight Distribution Structure

Here at the Law Offices of Darrell C. Harriman, I utilize a range of planning structures and tools to secure the assets of my clients. These include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

• Wills
• Revocable living trusts, spendthrift trusts, special needs trusts, credit shelter trusts, and other types of trusts
• Powers of attorney
• Advanced healthcare directives forms
• Personalized clauses that minimize conflict among beneficiaries
• And more!

With adequate planning, moving your assets into a trust (and making use of alternative asset structures such as joint tenancy) can minimize your tax liabilities, protect you from costly conservatorships if you become incapacitated and need others to handle your affairs, and help your beneficiaries avoid costly and time-consuming probate procedures.

Other Estate Planning Tools near Chatsworth, CA: Advanced Healthcare Directives & Financial Powers of Attorney

Estate planning does not exclusively concern trusts and wills, however — it must also take into consideration scenarios where you have been rendered incapacitated by an unexpected injury or illness.

Comprehensive estate planning typically includes the creation of an advanced healthcare directive (which gives you the opportunity to dictate how you will be treated in the event of an incapacitating injury, or terminal illness) and a financial power of attorney (which gives you the opportunity to choose a representative who will administer your finances while you are incapacitated). These estate planning tools are essential to ensuring that your post-incapacitation needs are met without expensive court proceedings, but they are often ignored by “cheap” and inexperienced estate planning providers.

The Law Offices of Darrell C. Harriman Provides Comprehensive Estate Planning Services in Chatsworth, California

In today’s legal industry, too many “general practitioners” advertise their services in areas that demand specialized knowledge. This is especially true of estate planning. Here at the Law Offices of Darrell C. Harriman, I am committed to providing comprehensive estate planning and probate administration services – and I have been doing so in Chatsworth, CA since 1980. I believe that by narrowing my practice area focus to estate planning and probate concerns, I am better equipped to effectively navigate unforeseen complications as they arise.

As the Founding Attorney, I am an advocate of a client-first mentality. What does this mean, exactly? I view my clients as collaborators in the estate planning process. I prioritize the needs of clients, ensuring that they receive personalized representation in their estate planning matters.

At the Law Offices of Darrell C. Harriman, the lines of communication between attorney and client are wide open. You are encouraged to discuss any questions and concerns you may have about the estate planning process. I strive to provide prompt and clear answers that cut to the core of the issue.