What Are The Basics Of Estate Planning?

Estate planning is the process of creating legal documents that outline your wishes concerning property and health care decisions in the case of death or incapacitation. It involves making decisions concerning the transfer of one’s property at death, as well as various decisions concerning health care, retirement, and other personal matters.

Reasons To Set Up An Estate Plan

The main reasons many people create an estate plan are to have control over how their property is distributed after they die, document who should care for minor children and to make sure their health care wishes are known. If you do not create a will, trust or power of attorney concerning your health care in the event you are no longer able to make decisions for yourself, the court or someone designated by the court will make those decisions for you.

The benefits of creating an estate plan include:

• Being able to provide for your immediate family
• Deciding guardianship for minor children
• Avoiding probate
• Making sure that loved ones get property quickly and without trouble
• Making your personal health care wishes known in case you are incapacitated
• Minimizing expenses due to property transfer

Anyone who has children who are minors, possesses property that they care about or wants to have a say in their health care treatment should they become incapacitated should create an estate plan.

Guidance Through Probate

In most cases, Oklahoma courts require executors to be represented by an attorney in probating a will. If you have been named the executor of a will, I can help you file the application for probate, locate and file the original will and guide you through the probate process. This includes helping with:

• Creating an inventory of estate assets
• Creating an inventory of estate creditors and debts
• Sending notices to creditors and processing creditors’ claims
• Locating and notifying beneficiaries named in the will
• Overseeing the distribution of estate assets to the beneficiaries

I am by your side every step of the way to explain the process and answer any questions you may have.

For Guidance Through Estate Planning, Contact Ricki M. Replin, P.C.

As a client, you are priority number one. Your satisfaction with the estate plan we create together is the ultimate goal. Call 918-215-9986 or fill out our online contact form to discuss your case. Ricki ensures that any phone call, if not immediately answered, will be returned within 12 hours.