Dillon Probate and Estate Planning Lawyer

One of the reasons you work so hard is to establish your legacy that you’ll leave to your loved ones when the time comes. Part of this process is estate planning, which helps to ensure that your assets and treasured family artifacts will flow to your heirs according to your wishes, and working with an experienced Dillon probate and estate planning lawyer can provide you with the peace of mind you’re looking for.

Probate

Probate refers to the legal process that addresses an individual’s estate after their death. During probate, your estate – or your overall assets – will be administered, and your properties will be distributed according to your wishes if you have a legally binding will in place or according to South Carolina’s laws of intestacy if you don’t.

During the probate process, your will must be validated – or verified – and a personal representative – or executor – will need to be assigned. From here, all the following will occur:

• Your assets will be inventoried.
• Your debts and taxes will be paid.
• Your remaining assets will be distributed according to your wishes if you have a will or according to state laws if you don’t.

Your Will

Your will is an important estate planning document, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Your will should address every asset in your estate that doesn’t have a beneficiary attached, and that isn’t included in a trust. While your will must go through the probate process, your directives will be upheld as long as your will is legally binding, which is yet another reason you should work with a seasoned probate and estate planning lawyer.

Assets with Beneficiary Designations

Those assets that have beneficiary designations skip the probate process and proceed directly to the beneficiaries you assign. Common examples include:

• Insurance policies
• Retirement accounts
• Annuities and other financial accounts

Trusts

Revocable living trusts allow you to remain in control of the assets you include in them until the time of your death. While you are alive, you retain the authority to change the terms of your trust, to remove or add assets, or even to void the trust entirely if the need arises. These assets remain part of your estate, but they skip the probate process and will be distributed according to your specific designations.

It’s Time to Consult with an Experienced Dillon Probate and Estate Planning Lawyer

The effort you put into your estate planning now reflects your deep feelings for your heirs and your commitment to your legacy, which makes it of primary importance. Because the legalities of the probate process are exacting, working with a practiced probate and estate planning lawyer is advised, and Leary McKenzie at McKenzie Law Firm in Dillon, South Carolina, fits the bill nicely. Leary takes great pride in his reputation for faithfully serving his client’s unique estate planning needs, and he looks forward to helping you as well. Learn more by reaching out and contacting us online or calling 843-627-4235 today.