Wills & Trusts
Estate Planning Lawyer Serving Thousand Oaks
Wills and trusts ensure your assets will transfer to those individuals whom you desire. Properly funded trusts may protect property and assets from probate, third party claims and taxes, while directing to whom those assets will pass.
A will allows you to name a guardian for your minor children, elect an executor, as well as provide any assets inadvertently left out of your trust to pass to that trust and thereafter to the appropriate beneficiaries. If you die without a will or trust, the State of California will determine how your assets will be divided and decide who will care for your minor children. Creating a will and establishing trusts with an attorney's assistance, allows you, not the State, to determine what will happen to your assets when you pass.
If you wish to construct a valid will and trust or need to amend an existing old estate plan, you may contact a Thousand Oaks estate planning attorney at Pederson Law Offices.
Wills, Trusts, and Probate
When you have a will, your estate must still go through the probate process. Probate is the act of distributing your estate according to the wishes set forth in your will. Dying intestate means the state will distribute your assets according to their laws. Prior to distributing your estate, many steps must be completed. Depending on the size of your estate and the collaboration of your family and heirs, probate may take around one year to complete.
Trusts can either minimize the probate court's involvement or bypass the probate process. Revocable living trusts allow you to avoid probate for any item properly titled or transferred into the trust. It can be property you own, such as houses, other forms of real estate, jewelry, bank accounts, and more.
Let a Ventura County estate planning attorney create your estate plan!
Wills and trusts are incredibly important aspects of estate planning. They ensure that your wishes are carried out in regards to the distribution of your estate after you pass away, and they have the ability to save your loved ones copious amounts of time, energy, and money.
Collectively our attorneys at Pederson Law Offices have been helping Ventura County residents create wills and establish trusts for more than 60 years. We are passionate about helping our clients construct personalized estate plans, and we wish to help every client who seeks our assistance.
Contact our firm today at (805) 372-1507, or fill out a complimentary case evaluation today!