Wills and Trusts
Every adult should have an Estate Plan, regardless of how large or small their estate is. Estate Planning achieves several different goals, all accomplished by different components of a well-crafted Estate Plan. Many clients come into our office saying “I need a Will,” without understanding how little protection a Will offers to their estate. At Bezaire, Ledwitz & Associates, we create Estate Plans for our clients; a collection of documents that work together to protect an estate from Probate, taxes, and uncertainty.
Many clients believe that a Will, standing alone, is sufficient to prevent their surviving family members and other heirs from dealing with Probate.
This is not true—a will must be probated!
…A typical Estate Plan includes a Living Trust, which helps your estate avoid Probate and directs the disposition of your assets when you have passed away. Durable Powers of Attorney authorize who will act on your behalf if you are incapacitated, and an Advance Health Care Directive ensures that your wishes are carried out in case of illness or accident.
Bezaire, Ledwitz & Associates offers comprehensive Estate Planning services, including the following:
- Trusts and Living trusts to hold and/or manage your assets.
- Wills, which can serve as a “back-up” document to Living Trusts.
- Durable Powers of Attorney.
- Advance Health Care Directives.
- Healthcare Document-on-Demand system (Docu-Bank).
- HIPAA/CMIA medical record release and authorizations.
- Guardianship designations.
…many clients believe that a Will, standing alone, is sufficient to prevent their surviving family members and other heirs from dealing with Probate. This is not true…
As referenced above, many clients believe that a Will, standing alone, is sufficient to prevent their surviving family members and other heirs from dealing with Probate. This is not true—a will must be probated! All types of families will benefit from the careful use of different kinds of Trusts to hold title to their assets, make sure they are properly managed for the beneficiaries, keep those assets out of Probate Court and reduce taxes.
Practice Areas
Estate Planning
Estate planning is the process of establishing a Trust, Will, Durable Power of Attorney, and other related documents during your lifetime.
Estate Administration
Probate
Probate is the legal proceeding supervised by the Superior Court used to transfer title to assets when a person is deceased.
Estate Litigation
Advanced Estate Planning
Families with substantial estates require additional strategies beyond a typical Estate Plan to reduce and offset Estate Tax liabilities.
Conservatorship
Our Locations
The quickest way to get assistance is to contact us directly at 310-316-2400 or by emailing us at info@ledwitzlaw.com.
Life Events
New Families
Nearing Retirement
Recent Loss
Recent Blogs
Common Estate Planning Mistakes
There are two common estate planning technique mistakes that we see in our office all the time.
They are Payable on Death (POD) and Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship (JTWROS).
Three Real Estate Mistakes that can Trigger Probate in California
Every year, during our free 3-year reviews, without fail, we find that a few of our clients have inadvertently placed a piece of real estate in danger of going through Probate
California Estate Planning Laws and your Family – Fourth in a Series: How To Initiate a California Probate
The DE-111 California Probate form is an important document that initiates the probate process in California. Probate is the legal process in which a court supervises the distribution of a deceased person’s assets to their heirs.
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