Kansas and Missouri Estate Planning

Who Should I Appoint as My Health Care Agent?

Selecting a health care agent is important.

You never know what the future holds.

It may involve a tragic accident or health crisis.

Will you be prepared if this happens to you?

According to a recent Forbes article titled “How To Select A Healthcare Proxy,” naming a health care agent is vital to being prepared.

Do not name just anyone.

You will want to make sure the individual you choose is both willing and capable.

A spouse or other family member may seem like a convenient choice.

The person must be strong in character and able to have hard conversations.

How can you make a wise decision?

First, you want someone who will likely outlive you.

Usually this means a younger individual.

If you choose someone your age, be sure to name a backup agent as well.

Next, consider proximity.

Ideally, medical and life-or-death decisions should not be made from a distance.

In fact, many hospitals require the agent to be present when making critical care decisions.

Your agent needs to be able to reach the hospital in a timely manner.

Finally, let us reiterate a previous point.

Select backups.

You never know if you and your initial agent might be involved in the same tragedy.

Selecting a secondary agent will eliminate delay.

Discuss your decisions with your agents—even the backups—to ensure they are willing to serve in this way and understand your wishes.

This will set them up for success.

Reference: Forbes (April 10, 2019) “How To Select A Healthcare Proxy”

How Are Living Wills Beneficial?

Living wills are not happy topics, but need to be discussed and created.

Are you putting off getting a living will?

Stop it.

Living wills are essential when it comes to your health care decisions, according to a recent EMS1.com article titled “Why EMS providers need living wills.”

So what exactly is a living will?

A living will is also known as an advanced health care directive.

What does it do?

It gives instructions for your end-of-life care in as much or in as little detail as you wish.

For example, you might want to include your directives for resuscitation, life support, organ donation and pain relief treatments.

Because it deals with end-of-life issues, it is powerless after you pass away.

You can also get a health care power of attorney to give a trusted individual the authority to make decisions on your behalf.

Why is it important to have a living will?

It gives you decision-making power.

Chances are if you are in the hospital in serious or critical condition, you will be in no state to communicate your wishes.

Outlining your instructions in advance will help ensure that you get the care you want.

Protect your loved ones.

Without a living will, your spouse will be give the authority to make decisions.

Not married?

Your family is next in line.

Do not put them in the situation of making this choice at an emotional time with no guidance from you.

Also, if you have a partner and are not married, he or she has no legal right to make end-of-life choices on your behalf.

Choose someone to make a decision.

With a health care power of attorney, you can give another layer of security in your decisions.

How?

You can name a trusted adult child or other individual to be sure your wishes are enforced.

Secure peace of mind.

No one wants to worry about the decisions to be made in a time of health crisis.

With a living will, you do can rest assured your wishes will be followed.

Select organ donation.

With a living will, you can give instructions about your wishes to be an organ donor.

Perhaps you will save a life.

When you make a living will, share your wishes with your family.

By doing this, they will not be surprised if the time comes to follow them.

Remember: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” When making your financial, tax and estate plans, do not go it alone. Be sure to engage competent professional counsel.

For more information about estate planning in Overland Park, KS (and throughout the rest of Kansas and Missouri), visit our estate planning website and be sure to subscribe to our complimentary estate planning e-newsletter while you are there.

Reference: EMS1.com (May 6, 2017) “Why EMS providers need living wills”

What Should I Know if I am Getting Married ... and Am Middle-aged?

Marriage at any age has its challenges.

Congratulations!

You are getting married.

Love is a wonderful thing.

But you should not walk blindly into your nuptials.

As I always tell clients who are remarrying - love may be blind, but you should remarry with both eyes open.

Why?

Marriage after age 50 will impact several aspects of your life—especially if you were previously married with children, according to a recent article in Forbes titled “6 Money Myths About Marrying After 50.”

What does the venerable Forbes suggest?

Get a prenup.

This tool is not just for wealthy individuals seeking to protect their assets in case of a divorce.

Instead, it can be a useful estate planning tool.

How?

If you have children from a previous marriage, you can protect the assets you want to leave to them.

With a prenup these allocated funds will go to your heirs rather than to your new spouse and his or her children.

Involve your step-family in your estate planning.

Whether you plan to leave money to your new spouse and step-children or just your biological children, communicating your wishes is beneficial.

Listen to the concerns of your children.

Explain the reasons for your estate planning decisions.

Do not keep your loved ones in the dark.

Consider keeping assets separate.

Regardless whether you keep all assets separate, you should decide this before you get married.

This is especially important with assets like a home.

If one or both of you moves, how will your house be titled.

Will the deed include one or both of your names?

Is your new spouse bringing any debt to the marriage?

Does your new spouse have student loans?

Does he or she have credit card debt?

This can affect your finances as well.

Talk about the elephant in the room.

Make a plan on how to pay this down.

Think about whether marriage makes sense.

Are you marrying simply to have a companion?

Did you know marriage could negatively impact your finances?

If you did not work while you were first married and have higher spousal benefits than you will get from your current work, you could take a hit on Social Security.

Is you new partner ill or on Medicaid?

If so, your added income could disqualify your loved one from benefits.

Not only that, but your assets will be on the table to pay for his or her long-term care.

This does not mean you should not get married.

But you should be aware of the impact it may have on you financially.

Name who will make medical decisions on your behalf.

Your spouse will not be able to make health care decisions for you just because you are married.

Would you like to avoid your children and new spouse fighting over what is best for you?

Work with an experienced estate planning attorney to get an advanced health care directive.

Also, talk with your loved ones so they know you wishes.

Communication is key when it comes to estate planning.

So, how do you find an "experienced" estate planning attorney?

First, ask around. Friends, family and other professional advisors are trustworthy sources.

Second, conduct an "organic" search on "Google" for "estate planning" near you (e.g., "Estate Planning Anytown MoKan").

Third, either way, verify! Check out the education, experience, ratings and client reviews of any attorney before you contact him or her.

How?

Two helpful online resources are just a mouse click away to assist with your due diligence:  Avvo.com and Lawyers.com.

Check any Avvo ratings, client ratings/testimonials and attorney endorsements on Avvo.com and any "peer ratings" by judges/other attorneys and any client ratings/testimonials on Lawyers.com.

In fact, I use both of these services to thoroughly vett attorneys before referring members of our "client" family for legal help in other areas of law or for matters in jurisdictions outside Kansas or Missouri.

Remember: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” When making your financial, tax and estate plans, do not go it alone. Be sure to engage competent professional counsel.

For more information about estate planning in Overland Park, KS (and throughout the rest of Kansas and Missouri), visit our estate planning website and be sure to subscribe to our complimentary estate planning e-newsletter while you are there.

Reference: Forbes (February 13, 2017) “6 Money Myths About Marrying After 50”

What Essential Estate Planning Documents are My "Must-Haves"?

Good question, as there are really three (3) that are non-negotiable.

In fact a recent article you may have caught calls them the "Big 3."

The article comes to us via NJ 101.5 and is titled “Here are the important estate planning documents you should have.”

Here are the "Big 3," according to that article - a will, a general durable power of attorney and an advance health care directive.

Your Will:

A will lets you give away your assets at your death to whom you wish in the manner appropriate for your beneficiaries.

In addition, a properly drafted will allows you to name an executor (also known as a "personal representative") to handle the administration of your estate.

Fail to name an executor in your will and the probate judge appoints an "administrator" to settle your affairs.

Hint: The process goes a lot more easily (and less expensively) when you name an executor in your will.

Your General Durable Power of Attorney:

This legal documents is needed by everyone age 18 and older.

Through it you appoint a trusted individual as the agent to act on your behalf regarding financial matters.

Also, if the power of attorney is durable, its effectiveness continues after your incapacity. You certainly want to give this authority.

Why?

Giving this power to an agent will eliminate an expensive "conservatorship" proceeding if you become incapacitated down the road.

Your Advance Health Care Directive.

An advance health care directive will include a durable power of attorney for health care decisions. Think of it as the health care "kissing cousin" to your general durable power of attorney for financial matters.

Again, this legal document is necessary for everyone age 18 and older to avoid a "guardianship" proceeding if you are incapacitated.

The other component of an advance health care directive is the "health care treatment directive" which allows you to express your treatment wishes when your life and death hang in the balance.

Hint: If you want your agents to err on the side of maintaining your life through health care measures, then do not appoint a friend or family member who is a veterinarian. [A little estate planning humor there.]

Other Considerations:

While you are taking care of getting these "Big 3" implemented, be sure to review all of your beneficiary designations to be make sure they reflect your wishes on the disposition of each asset.

Did you know that an asset with a beneficiary designation is considered a "non-probate asset" that is not distributed under the terms of your will?

It is true.

Accordingly, changes to your will do not change the distribution of such non-probate property.

In fact, retirement accounts and life insurance policies are the most common assets that pass by beneficiary designation, as well as POD (payable on death) and TOD (transfer on death) accounts.

Along with the “Big Three,” you may want to consider creating a revocable living trust to hold property during your lifetime and distribute it privately without probate at your death.

In addition, irrevocable trusts are often employed for estate tax planning purposes. One of the most common of these is an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT), which can eliminate the value of insurance proceeds from your taxable estate at your death.

Talk with an experienced estate planning attorney to make sure you have all the documents you need.

So, how do you find an "experienced" estate planning attorney?

First, ask around. Friends, family and other professional advisors are trustworthy sources.

Second, conduct an "organic" search on "Google" for "estate planning" near you (e.g., "Estate Planning Anytown MoKan").

Third, either way, verify! Check out the education, experience, ratings and client reviews of any attorney before you contact him or her.

How?

Two helpful online resources are just a mouse click away to assist with your due diligence:  Avvo.com and Lawyers.com.

Check any Avvo ratings, client ratings/testimonials and attorney endorsements on Avvo.com and any "peer ratings" by judges/other attorneys and any client ratings/testimonials on Lawyers.com.

In fact, I use both of these services to thoroughly vett attorneys before referring members of our "client" family for legal help in other areas of law or for matters in jurisdictions outside Kansas or Missouri.

Remember: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” When making your financial, tax and estate plans, do not go it alone. Be sure to engage competent professional counsel.

For more information about estate planning in Overland Park, KS (and throughout the rest of Kansas and Missouri), visit our estate planning website and be sure to subscribe to our complimentary estate planning e-newsletter while you are there.

Reference: NJ 101.5 (September 13, 2016) “Here are the important estate planning documents you should have”

What Estate Planning Documents does Our College Bound Child Need?

 Without the proper legal documents, you will be unable to make health care and financial decisions should he or she become incapacitated.

Stuff happens ... even to the young.

College is about to start.

You are probably wondering how your children grow up so fast.

I felt the same way when my girls left for school.

Nothing can prepare you for the emotions when you wave goodbye and leave them for their freshman year.

But you can certainly prepare to provide help when they need it most.

Once your child reaches age 18, you cannot legally make many important decisions on health care or finances—even if you pay tuition.

This was the subject of a recent businessinsavannah.com article titled “College-bound children need critical financial, health documents.”

With advance planning, you would need to petition a judge to be appointed as the guardian (personal and health care decisions) and conservator (financial decisions).

And the court process is not cheap, financially or emotionally.

Scary but true.

What can you do?

Get an advance directive for healthcare and a durable power of attorney.

What will these do?

The advance directive for healthcare will give you the ability to make medical decisions.

The durable power of attorney will grant the ability to make financial decisions.

Although these are what you absolutely need, a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) form and an In Case of Emergency (ICE) card will be beneficial, too.

How so?

A pre-signed HIPAA form allows you to access any medical records for your child.

An ICE card should be kept with your child at all times, so emergency personnel would know to contact you. Important information, like known allergies or health insurance information, will also be available to those assessing the situation.

Other ICE ideas?

Have your child include an ICE number on his or her phone screensaver picture.

Because phones are password protected, having an ICE only in the contacts does little good.

It cannot be accessed.

All of my children have this, and we sleep much better at night as a result.

Visit your estate planning attorney to create and sign these documents before your child leaves the nest (or when he or she is home on their first visit back).

Remember: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” When making your financial, tax and estate plans, do not go it alone. Be sure to engage competent professional counsel.

For more information about estate planning in Overland Park, KS (and throughout the rest of Kansas and Missouri), visit our estate planning website and be sure to subscribe to our complimentary estate planning e-newsletter while you are there.

Reference: businessinsavannah.com (July 22, 2016) “College-bound children need critical financial, health documents”

Should My Retired Parents have an "Eldercare Plan"?

In reality, we all should have such a plan.

But what exactly is an Eldercare Plan anyway?

Recently, the Huffington Post took up this timely topic in an article titled "Writing an Eldercare Plan."

According to the article, estate planning attorneys view being "elder-proofed" as having certain legal documents.

These documents include an advance health care directive (i.e., living will and durable power of attorney for health care decisions), do not resuscitate orders (DNR), a durable power of attorney for finances, and a will.

Nevertheless, once your parents have these fundamental legal instruments inked, there is yet an important aspect of their planning to address.

What is it?

Recording the day-to-day decision-making desires of your parents now so such desires will be known and followed later if your parents are unable to communicate them.

Consequently, your parents should write an eldercare plan to document their day-to-day desires.

Do not delay.

Discuss a care plan before disease or dementia come into play, or a crisis causes eldercare services to become urgently needed.

Get the plan drafted while your parents are still fully cognizant and rational. The plan can be signed when other end-of-life documents are put in place.

In truth, everyone wins with early discussions.

When parents are involved in the decisions for his or her potential care, then the whole family has a better understanding of their preferences and are more prepared for any tough questions.

A good eldercare plan designates the roles and responsibilities for the care of senior parents to specific individuals in writing.

In addition, healthcare preferences and treatments can be detailed. This can help explain some of the more general guidance in the advance health care directive.

If a senior loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, then families should begin their elder and estate planning soon after the diagnosis while he or she can be an active participant.

As part of the end-of-life planning process, make sure your estate planning attorney drafts the advance health care directive with HIPAA authorizations so your parents can designate a trusted person to make decisions if he or she becomes incapacitated.

Consider starting the eldercare planning process with a meeting with all of the family and important loved ones. If appropriate, then also consider including friends and even good neighbors.

In addition, speak with an experienced estate planning attorney so nothing is left to chance. 

Remember: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” When making your financial, tax and estate plans, do not go it alone. Be sure to engage competent professional counsel.

For more information about estate planning in Overland Park, KS (and throughout the rest of Kansas and Missouri), visit our estate planning website and be sure to subscribe to our complimentary estate planning e-newsletter while you are there.

Reference: Huffington Post (March 30, 2016) "Writing an Eldercare Plan"

What are Some Estate Planning Musts?

There certainly are some "non-negotiables" when it comes to the basics of estate planning.

While you never want to "over-lawyer" your estate plan, you do not want to pull up short either.

After all, estate planning is how you determine what happens to you and your property when you can no longer make decisions due to incapacity or death.

Period.

Without proper estate planning, you risk leaving a big old mess behind.

That means an already tough process will be made even tougher for your loved ones.

An experienced estate planning attorney is essential when it comes to translating your objectives into just the right legal language.

Once your plan is inked, be sure to store the original in a safe place where your "fiduciaries" (think executor and trustee) can access them when needed.

It is a good idea to keep backed up scans of the original signed legal documents, too. 

Now, back to your original question regarding the bear necessities of estate planning.

We turn to a recent Nerd Wallet article titled "10 Keys to Proper Estate Planning."

While you should click over and read the original article, it identifies some key legal documents you should have in place without delay.

So, what are the bear necessities?

An Advance Health Care Directive (and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions).

This is how you provide for your healthcare wishes when you are unable to communicate your wishes.

You appoint an agent you know and trust to go to bat for you with the medical world.

You do not want the default process, whereby a judge appoints a "guardian" to make these decisions for you under the judge's supervision.

Think Terri Schaivo.

By the way, make sure this document incorporates HIPAA release language so your agents

Ask your estate planning attorney about the one specific to your state, as various states have their own nuances.

A Durable Power of Attorney (for Financial Matters).

Kind of the kissing cousin to the advance health care directive, this legal document lets you designate an individual to manage your financial affairs should you become incapacitated.

If you fail to complete this form and you need help, a judge may appoint someone for you.

A Last Will and Testament.

In Kansas and Missouri, a will is the document most commonly deployed to appoint guardians for orphaned minor children.

In addition, a will can provide for the distribution of your assets (other than those passing by "beneficiary designation" or some other non-probate transfer method).

A Living Trust.

If your estate has grown more complex (e.g., real estate in multiple states, business interests, etc.), then this is another way to transfer property upon your death outside of probate.

Properly structured, a funded living trust can make the postmortem process more confidential, more streamlined, and more flexible than probate.

With a living trust, your wishes may be less likely to be contested than with a probated will.

A trust is an option, but as with all things legal and financial it depends on your assets and your state laws.

But if you have a trust, you still need to have a will.

Not having an estate plan can be time-consuming, stressful, and costly for your heirs.

There is a strong likelihood that your property would not be distributed according to your wishes.

Bottom line: Take action to create your own estate plan. Only you can do it.

Doing so will give you peace of mind and protect your family from a big old mess down the road. 

Remember: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” When making your financial, tax and estate plans, do not go it alone. Be sure to engage competent professional counsel.

For more information about estate planning in Overland Park, KS (and throughout the rest of Kansas and Missouri), visit our estate planning website and be sure to subscribe to our complimentary estate planning e-newsletter while you are there.

Reference: Nerd Wallet (March 11, 2016) "10 Keys to Proper Estate Planning"

What is Going on with the Sumner Redstone Trial?

It just keeps getting crazier.

Have you heard that media mogul Sumner Redstone is going to trial on May 6 over ex-girlfriend Manuela Herzer's claim that he is mentally incompetent?

Yep, it is true.

According to a recent Bloomberg article titled "Redstone Faces Competency Trial amid Fight over Media Empire," this may intensify the competition for control of his $3 billion holdings in Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp.

Los Angeles probate judge David Cowan asked whether it was wise for the 92-year-old to name Viacom CEO Phillipe Dauman as his agent in charge of his health care decisions rather than a family member.

Judge Cowan, who will decide the case without a jury, said he is not necessarily confident things "are all patched up" between Sumner and his daughter Shari Redstone.

For her part, Herzer contends that Redstone is incapacitated and manipulated by those around him.

But it gets more complicated.

At least one shareholder has sued the boards of Viacom and CBS, accusing them of wasting millions of dollars paying Redstone when he was unfit to take an active role in the businesses.

As you may recall, Redstone only stepped down as chairman of both companies last month, days after he was examined by a psychiatrist designated by Herzer as part of her court case.

So what hangs in the balance?

Control of Redstone's 80% voting stakes in Viacom and CBS will pass to a family trust if he becomes incapacitated or dies.

Shari Redstone and Dauman are two of the seven members of that trust.

Redstone's Viacom and CBS holdings are exempt from the lawsuit, as the family trust that will take control was established long ago.

Herzer, who describes herself as Redstone's longtime companion and caretaker, alleges he was not capable of making his own decisions when he removed her from his advance health care directive and evicted her from his mansion last fall.

In response, Redstone's lawyers claim Herzer's ulterior motive is to contest her removal from his will.

She apparently stood to inherit $50 million ... plus Redstone's $20 million home before she was cut out of his estate plan.

While I do not fancy rubbernecking at train wrecks, when the train wrecks are estate feuds there can be lessons learned. 

Remember: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” When making your financial, tax and estate plans, do not go it alone. Be sure to engage competent professional counsel.

For more information about estate planning in Overland Park, KS (and throughout the rest of Kansas and Missouri), visit our estate planning website and be sure to subscribe to our complimentary estate planning e-newsletter while you are there.

Reference: Bloomberg (February 29, 2016) "Redstone Faces Competency Trial Amid Fight Over Media Empire"

What can I Learn about Alzheimer's from Glen Campbell?

Alzheimer's is no respecter of status, celebrity, fame, fortune or any of that other (seemingly) important stuff.

No, it is nasty.

Where did it get its name?

From the German doctor Alois Alzheimer. He first discovered the distinctive tangles and plaques of the disease in the brain of a female dementia patient in 1906.

When a loved one falls victim to Alzheimer's, it is said that "you eventually lose them twice" before all is said and done.

Kim Campbell, wife of music legend and entertainer Glen Campbell is experiencing this firsthand.

Kim first saw the signs, but chalked it up to the normal aging process.

However, once she suspected that her husband Glen had a serious problem—more than just senior moments—she needed to get a diagnosis.

Glen Campbell, now 79, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2011. He performed the final show of his farewell tour in late 2012.

"Getting the diagnosis helped me a lot," Kim Campbell said in a recent telephone interview with the Lexington Herald-Leader as reported in its article titled "Wife of Glen Campbell takes on role of Alzheimer's advocate, speaker."

She was candid with the reporter, admitting that "[b]efore the diagnosis, I would get frustrated with him, and irritated and annoyed."

Alzheimer's impacts about half of all people over the age of 85 and kills nearly 100,000 Americans each year. 

Kim Campbell said the disease needs to be approached from a perspective of examining what the patient still can do versus what he or she cannot do. What can caregivers do to give them comfort and joy?

Glen Campbell now resides in a memory care unit.

Kim Campbell said she tried one last time to have her husband at home. As she put it, "I missed him so much, and I thought, I've just got to try it one more time. (But) I couldn't bathe him without a fight, or change his clothes. Glen's a big man, and he was not easy."

Kim Campbell said she speaks out about the disease to help other families struggling with it too.

Campbell also suggests that caregivers give themselves breaks and take care of themselves because the stress for caregivers is enormous.

She also emphasized that estate planning is very important and noted the need for advance health care directives.

Remember: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” When making your financial, tax and estate plans, do not go it alone. Be sure to engage competent professional counsel.

For more information about estate planning in Overland Park, KS (and throughout the rest of Kansas and Missouri), visit our estate planning website and be sure to subscribe to our complimentary estate planning e-newsletter and weekly blog digest while you are there.

Reference: Lexington (KY) Herald Leader (February 24, 2016) "Wife of Glen Campbell takes on role of Alzheimer's advocate, speaker"

What are the Risks of Waiting to Create My Estate Plan?

Let's face it. None of us thinks we are going to die, especially soon.

However, I remember something my maternal grandfather used to say: the old must die ... and the young may die.

Well said.

So, what estate planning legal instruments (sounds cooler than calling them "legal documents"), are fundamental? 

Recently, this theme was taken up by NASDAQ in an article titled "Why You Need Key Estate-Planning Documents."

According to the article, the basics would include a will for property transfer purposes, along with a general durable power of attorney and an advance health care directive for incapacity issues. 

Property Transfers.

When yet another celebrity dies you can make bank on the fact that stories will soon follow about their estate planning failures.

Examples include the estates of Elvis Presley, James Gandolfini, Whitney Houston and Phillip Seymour Hoffman just to name a few.

Oh, I almost forgot - Michael Jackson.

Who needs that kind of drama?

If you have a valid will, the transfer of your assets may be much less confusing and difficult. A will tells your executor (also known as a personal representative) how your assets should be distributed.

In addition, a will can carry out your wishes regarding the order in which your heirs should receive your assets. This can be very important in case funds run out before all of the bequests are fulfilled.

Ouch.

Even if you have a will, however, when property is owned jointly with at least two names on the title, it passes automatically to the surviving owner.

Other financial assets, like life insurance proceeds and funds from retirement plans, are likewise automatically transferred to the named beneficiaries.

Teaching point: Make certain these are up-to-date!

If you leave no will, do not own assets jointly with another who survives you, or do not have up-to-date beneficiary designations, then a probate judge will oversee the transfer of your property according to state law.

Incapacity Issues.

Remember Terri Schiavo, the young Florida woman who remained in a persistent vegetative state for months after suffering severe brain damage?

Her husband wanted to remove the feeding tube keeping her alive, claiming she would not have wanted to be on artificial life support.

On the other side were her parents who opposed this and were willing to care for her.

Sadly, Terri did not have any estate planning documents to appoint her own health care decision-makers or indicate her own wishes.

In the end this saga lasted almost a decade with the courts, Congress, and even President George W. Bush becoming involved.

In the event you become incapacitated, this is where two legal documents are essential when it comes to making your ongoing financial and health care decisions - a general durable power of attorney and an advance health care directive.

Where should you get your estate planning legal documents?

Spoiler alert: Obviously, I am biased on this.

Nevertheless, take it from the third party NASDAQ article and get your estate planning documents from an estate planning attorney.

In the process, he or she can help you transfer property to your heirs in the most tax-efficient way possible and make sure your plans comply with the state estate laws where you live.

Although you can search the Internet for services that provide templates for wills, powers of attorney, and health care directives, you are infinitely safer to have an experienced estate planning attorney who understands your unique circumstances.

If you need a will or answers to your questions about what would happen to your property when you are no longer around, consult with an experienced estate planning attorney.

How do you find an "experienced" estate planning attorney?

First, ask around. Friends, family and other professional advisors are trustworthy sources.

Second, conduct an "organic" search on "Google" for "estate planning" near you (e.g., "Estate Planning Anytown MoKan").

Third, either way, verify. Check out the education, experience, ratings and client reviews of any attorney before you contact him or her.

How?

There are two helpful resources just a mouse click away to assist with your due diligence:  Avvo.com and Lawyers.com.

Check any Avvo ratings, client ratings/testimonials and attorney endorsements on Avvo.com and any "peer ratings" by judges/other attorneys and any client ratings/testimonials on Lawyers.com.

In fact, I use both of these services to thoroughly vett attorneys before referring members of our "client" family for legal help in other areas of law or for matters in jurisdictions outside Kansas or Missouri.

Remember: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” When making your financial, tax and estate plans, do not go it alone. Be sure to engage competent professional counsel.

For more information about estate planning in Overland Park, KS (and throughout the rest of Kansas and Missouri), visit our estate planning website and be sure to subscribe to our complimentary estate planning e-newsletter while you are there.

Reference: NASDAQ (December 16, 2015) "Why You Need Key Estate-Planning Documents"