WILLS, TRUSTS, & ESTATES
Your Story. Your Voice. Your Legacy.
A good estate plan is really a way of taking care of the people you love. It makes your wishes known, protects your family, and keeps the people closest to you from having to guess during a hard time.
I’ll take the time to get to know you, your family, and what matters most to you, then help you put together a plan that fits. That can include:
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Wills: Decide who receives your property and who will handle your estate. If you have young children, you can also name a guardian for them.
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Trusts: Pass on your assets in a way that can avoid probate, provide for loved ones over time, and keep your affairs private.
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Financial Power of Attorney: Choose someone you trust to manage your finances if you’re ever unable to.
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Health Care Power of Attorney: Name someone to make medical decisions for you if you can’t make them yourself.
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Living Will / Advance Directive: Put your wishes for end-of-life care in writing, so your family doesn’t have to carry that decision alone.
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HIPAA Authorization: Give the people you choose permission to speak with your doctors and access your medical information.
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Deeds: Transfer real estate, add or remove an owner, or move property into a trust.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or updating an older plan, I’ll explain each piece in plain language and make sure your documents are ready to work when your family needs them.
What's the Process?
How It Works
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Engagement letter: I’ll email you a letter explaining what I’ll do for you and what to expect. If it looks good, you can sign it electronically through DocuSign.
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Questionnaire: You’ll fill out a questionnaire so I have the information I need, then send it back to me.
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Drafting: I’ll prepare your documents.
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Review meeting: We’ll meet, virtually, on the phone, or in person, to go through everything together. I’ll answer your questions and make any changes so you feel comfortable before signing.
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Signing:
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In person: We’ll meet at my office in Franklin, NC. I’ll oversee the signing and can provide witnesses if needed.
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From home: I’ll either (a) come to you or (b) arrange for a mobile notary to come to you, and I’ll join virtually to guide you through it. You’ll just need two witnesses.
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Once everything is signed, your plan is in place and you can rest easy knowing your family will be taken care of.
What is What?
Will
A will lets you decide who receives your belongings after you’re gone, from family heirlooms to that garden gnome you love. You can also name a guardian for your children, choose who will care for your pets, and include any special wishes. Most of all, it gives your loved ones clear guidance when they need it most.
Probate
Probate is the court process of settling someone’s estate after they pass away. In North Carolina, it’s handled by the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the person lived. The clerk appoints someone to manage the estate, who then gathers assets, pays final bills, and distributes what’s left to the right people.
Does a Will Avoid Probate?
No, and that surprises many people. A will is a set of instructions for probate. It tells the clerk who should be in charge and who should inherit, but it has to go through the court before anyone can act on it. Some assets, like joint accounts, accounts with named beneficiaries, and property in a trust, can pass outside of probate.
Trust
Want to avoid probate?
A trust is like a safe place to hold your assets, such as your home, savings, or investments, with your own rules for how they’re managed and passed on.
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You create the trust and usually serve as its first trustee, so you stay in control of your assets during your lifetime.
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Your successor trustee is the person you choose to take over if you become unable to manage things or after you pass away.
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Your beneficiaries are the people who receive the trust’s assets. That’s usually you while you’re alive, and then the loved ones you choose.
Because assets in a trust don’t go through probate, your family can often avoid delays and keep things private. The key is making sure your assets are actually moved into the trust, and I can help with that, including preparing deeds for your home.
Financial Power of Attorney
A financial power of attorney lets you choose someone you trust to handle your finances and legal matters, such as paying bills, managing property, and working with banks. It can take effect right away or only if you become unable to manage things yourself.
It doesn’t cover medical decisions, which are handled by a separate health care power of attorney.
I’ll explain your options and help you set it up so it fits your needs.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
A health care power of attorney lets you choose someone you trust, often a family member or close friend, to make medical decisions for you if you’re unable to make them yourself. This person can speak with your doctors, review your treatment options, and make sure your wishes are followed.
You can also include guidance about the kind of care you would or wouldn’t want, so the person you choose isn’t left guessing. It works hand in hand with a living will, and I’ll help you think through the decisions that matter most to you.
Living Will
A living will lets you put your wishes in writing about medical care if you’re ever too ill or injured to speak for yourself. Unlike a regular will, it isn’t about your belongings. It’s about your health care, especially at the end of life.
It tells your loved ones and doctors whether you’d want treatments like life support or resuscitation if you can’t communicate. Having those decisions made ahead of time takes a heavy burden off your family during an already difficult time.