Carefully Crafting Wills And Living Wills
Your will, one of the most common and familiar estate planning documents, instructs an executor or personal representative how to distribute your assets. At W.R. Stewart & Associates, S.C., our experienced estate planning attorneys assist clients in drafting wills that accurately reflect their wishes.
Whether you need to draft a will for the first time or wish to update an existing will and estate plan, our Wisconsin estate planning lawyers can help you. Together, our attorneys have more than 75 years of experience drafting effective wills and estate plans to protect clients’ assets for the future benefit of loved ones.
Protecting Your Assets With A Will
Contact the estate planning professionals at our Dane County law office for experienced legal advice about your will, including:
- Drafting simple or complex wills
- Creating a business continuity plan
- Addressing the proper execution of a will
- Revisiting a will at life-changing moments
Our estate planning lawyers include specific language to diminish the likelihood of will contests or other potential problems in administering your estate. In addition to our preventative approach, we work with clients to develop flexible estate plans using other tools such as trusts and guardianships to protect the needs of minor children.
No estate plan can accurately predict your changing needs and the ever-changing laws, however. Accordingly, we recommend you review your estate plan when you face major life changes to confirm that the estate plan is still consistent with your intent.
You May Need More Than A Simple Will
In our experience, many new clients come to us believing they need just a simple will because they have limited or modest assets. Although you may believe your estate planning needs are straightforward, many times we recommend estate planning vehicles beyond simple wills to address our clients’ objectives. For example, individuals or couples with minor children should consider a testamentary trust to hold and protect assets for the benefit of their children. A revocable or living trust can also be used to avoid or reduce the cost of probate.
Health Care Powers Of Attorney And Living Wills
Commonly known as a living will, a health care directive or medical power of attorney is a valuable legal instrument. Health care directives are designed to outline the type and extent of medical care you wish to receive when you are unable to speak for yourself, including who will oversee your treatment. Similarly, health care powers of attorney give your health care agent the legal authority to make health care decisions on your behalf.
A living will allows you to direct your physicians in advance in the event of a severe accident or debilitating disease. Our knowledgeable attorneys can help you draft an appropriate health care directive to ensure your medical treatment accurately reflects your wishes.
Get Estate Planning Help Today
To learn more about establishing wills, living wills and other asset preservation tools, call us at 608-509-9049 today or reach out online to schedule a consultation.