Estate Planning

Santa Cruz Estate Planning Attorney

At Santa Cruz law firm of Timothy J. Morgan, Attorney at Law, our clients receive sound advice and guidance in matters related to estate planning and end-of-life issues.

In this day and age, if you don’t have an estate plan, things will not go well. Estate-planning is your opportunity to decide what will happen in the event of your death. If you do not make those decisions before hand, you are left at the mercy of generic laws which may, or more likely, may not, distribute your property the way you want.

Through a well-planned estate, our lawyers can help you secure tax advantages, speed up the process of estate administration for your beneficiaries, keep your financial affairs private, and save your estate money. If you own real estate you really should seek proper estate planning advice to fully protect your assets.

Real estate values in the Central Coast are very much higher than the national average. When congress makes laws regarding inheritance taxes and the like, they set dollar limits which should protect the "middle class" homeowner. The problem is that these dollar limits are not indexed for geographic property value differences, so homeowners in the Central Coast, particularly those who have owned their homes for some time, may easily have estates valued above the limits set by Congress. We help you plan your estate to take this into account and allow you to keep the maximum possible value from your assets.

Our estate planning service includes the preparation of all of the documents that are necessary for an integrated and functioning estate plan, including:

• Revocable living trust
• Pour-over will for any property that is not in the trust
• Durable power of attorney for property management
• Durable power of attorney for health care
• Advance health care directive (which includes a living will and health care proxy for end-of-life decision-making)

With the advance of medical technology, it has become possible to prolong life, in many cases, where there is no realistic hope of meaningful recovery. Under the law, in the absence of clear direction to the contrary, health care providers must make every effort to keep your body alive. Our office can help you prepare an Advance Healthcare Directive(often called, a "Living Will") which provides your detailed instructions to your doctors regarding end-of-life care, including organ donation. Many clients prefer to forego heroic, lifesaving measures rather than have their families face grief, disagreements, and the expense associated with long term care where there is no hope of recovery. We routinely prepare these papers for our clients as part of their comprehensive estate plans.

When our lawyers prepare an estate plan and set up a living trust, we take advantage of the opportunity to avoid federal estate taxes through the use of proper sheltering mechanisms, including the marital deduction. We often work in partnership with your accountant, financial planner, and insurance agent, all of whom may be considered part of your estate-planning team. Our attorneys will make your estate plan flexible, to anticipate changes in the law down the road.

Avoid expensive probate. Contact an estate planning lawyer at the Santa Cruz law firm of Timothy J. Morgan, Attorney at Law, for sensible legal advice and satisfying results.