Estate planning services involve professional assistance in managing and protecting your assets, ensuring they are distributed according to your wishes, and minimizing potential tax liabilities. They help individuals create legal documents like wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, and offer guidance on various aspects of estate planning, including estate taxes and charitable donations. Estate planning involves determining how an individual’s assets will be preserved, managed, and distributed after death. It also takes into account the management of an individual’s properties and financial obligations if they become incapacitated.
Estate Planners can prepare documents in four unique categories. It may be necessary to pull from individual categories so the final product dots the I’s and crosses all the T’s. Here are the categories with descriptions for all the estate planning services documents we can prepare.
Estate Planning
| Durable Power of Attorney | A Durable Power of Attorney (DPA) is a legal document that allows someone (the principal) to designate another person (the agent) to make legal, financial, and/or medical decisions on their behalf, even if the principal becomes incapacitated. This means the power of attorney remains valid even if the principal loses mental capacity. |
| Final Arrangements | Final arrangements encompass the preparations made for everything that will happen after someone’s death, including funeral services, burial or cremation, and related details. These arrangements can be documented in a final arrangements document, which helps loved ones understand and fulfill the deceased’s wishes. |
| Healthcare Directive (Living Will & Power of Attorney) | An advance health care directive lets your physician, family, and friends know your health care preferences, including the types of special treatment you want or don’t want at the end of life, your desire for diagnostic testing, surgical procedures, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and organ donation. |
| Information for Caregivers and Survivors | The Information for Caregivers and Survivors form will enable you to put in one place much of the information to assist your loved ones in managing your affairs. |
| Letter to Survivors | An explanation about why certain gifts were made. · An explanation about disparities in gifts. |
| Living Trust | A living trust is a legal arrangement that specifies who manages your assets and who inherits them after you die—all while avoiding probate. |
| Living Trust – Certificate of Trust | A Certificate of Trust (also known as a Certification of Trust) is a concise document summarizing key information about a living trust, such as its name and trustee(s), for use with financial institutions or other entities. It’s a streamlined way to share necessary details without revealing the full, potentially confidential, contents of the trust document. |
| Property Worksheet | If you have ideas about who should receive what, make a note about that too. But be sure to make arrangements for those items through your will, living trust, or beneficiary designations because this document does not have the legal power to distribute property. |
| Quitclaim Deed for Living Trust | A quitclaim deed is commonly used to transfer property, including real estate, into a living trust. This deed acts as a “pass-through,” transferring the grantor’s current ownership interest to the trust, without warranties about the title. It’s a relatively straightforward way to move property into a trust for estate planning purposes. |
| Revocation of Healthcare Directive | To revoke a healthcare directive, you typically need to create a written statement revoking the existing document, signed and dated in the presence of witnesses. Alternatively, you can revoke the directive by executing a new one that clearly expresses your changed wishes, following your state’s specific requirements. In California, you can also revoke a previously registered directive by completing a new registration form and checking the appropriate box. |
| Revocation of Power of Attorney | A revocation of power of attorney is a legal document that terminates the authority granted to an attorney-in-fact (also called an agent) by the principal in a previous Power of Attorney document. Essentially, it revokes the agent’s ability to act on the principal’s behalf. |
| Transfer on Death Deed | A Transfer on Death Deed (TOD Deed), also known as a Beneficiary Deed, is a legal document that allows a property owner to designate a beneficiary who will inherit their property upon the owner’s death. This deed automatically transfers the property without going through probate, simplifying the process for the beneficiary. |
| Will | A last will and testament allows you to decide how you want your property to be distributed among family, friends or charities. |
Executors Documents
| Affidavit of Domicile | An Affidavit of Domicile is a legal document that verifies a deceased person’s official residence (domicile) at the time of their death. It’s used to establish where a person lived and to clarify the legal jurisdiction for estate administration. This is important for probate, tax purposes, and the distribution of assets. |
| Employee Death Benefit Letter | An Employee Death Benefits Letter is a notification sent by an employer to inform family members or designated beneficiaries of an employee’s death and outline the benefits they may be entitled to, such as life insurance payouts, unpaid wages, or other plan provisions. It essentially serves as a formal communication about available support and resources following the employee’s passing. |
| Executor’s Checklist | An executor’s checklist helps guide you through the process of managing a deceased person’s estate. It covers key tasks like locating the will, obtaining necessary documents, notifying beneficiaries and creditors, managing assets, paying debts and taxes, and distributing the estate according to the will. |
| Executor’s Letter to Financial Institution | If you’re an executor, you can write a Bank Confirmation Letter to a bank or financial institution on behalf of a deceased person’s estate. The Letter requests that the bank or institution verify the deceased person’s account, the balance on that account, and any accrued interest not yet posted to the account. |
| General Notice of Death | A General Notice of Death is a letter used to inform third parties, like charities, businesses, or organizations, about the death of someone. It’s a way to update records and manage the deceased’s affairs. This notice is separate from a death certificate or obituary. |
| Information for Caregivers and Survivors | The Information for Caregivers and Survivors form will enable you to put in one place much of the information to assist your loved ones in managing your affairs. |
| Notice to Creditor of Death | Tells those to whom a deceased person owes money or other property (creditors) who has been appointed as the personal representative of the deceased person’s estate, and that the representative has started managing the estate. The executor is now the point of contact. |
| Request for Death Certificate | For the estates executor to obtain a death certificate in California, you can request a certified copy from either the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (if the death occurred in LA County) or the California Department of Public Health – Vital Records (CDPH-VR) (if the death occurred anywhere in California). |
Home & Family Documents
| Authorization for International Travel With Minor | When a minor travels internationally without both legal guardians, a Child Travel Consent form is generally required. This form, preferably in English and notarized, authorizes the minor’s travel with a single parent, a guardian, or another adult. The purpose is to prevent international child abduction and ensure the child’s safety by providing clear documentation of parental permission. |
| Authorization for Minor’s Medical Treatment | In most situations, a minor’s parent or legal guardian must provide consent for medical treatment. However, minors may be able to consent to their own care in certain situations, such as when they are 15 or older, living independently, and managing their own finances. In California, a minor may also consent to treatment for certain contagious diseases if they are 12 or older. |
| Authorization to Drive a Motor Vehicle | An Authorization to Drive a Motor Vehicle is a legal document that allows the owner of a vehicle to permit another person to drive their vehicle under specific conditions. This document provides proof that the owner has given their consent for the borrower to operate the vehicle, and it can also include restrictions on use, such as timeframes or geographic limits. |
| Child Care Agreement | A Child Care Agreement, also known as a contract, is a written document outlining the details of a childcare arrangement between a parent/guardian and a provider. It clarifies the responsibilities, expectations, and terms of the agreement, ensuring both parties understand their obligations and potential consequences. |
| Child Care Instructions | Child Care Instructions are a written document providing crucial information to caregivers, whether it’s a nanny, daycare center, or babysitter, about a child’s specific needs, routines, and emergency contact information. It serves as a guide, FAQ, and emergency information sheet, ensuring the caregiver has everything they need to provide proper care. |
| Elder Care Agreement | An Elder Care Agreement, also known as a Personal Care Agreement or Caregiver Contract, is a legally binding document outlining the terms and conditions of caregiving services provided by a caregiver, often a family member, to an elderly or disabled individual. It clarifies the caregiver’s duties, duration of care, compensation, and how to handle additional expenses, helping to avoid future conflicts and misunderstandings. |
| Housekeeping Services Agreement | A housekeeping contract is a legally binding agreement outlining the terms and conditions between a client (property owner or manager) and a housekeeper or cleaning service provider. It clarifies responsibilities, payment, and other important details to ensure a smooth and transparent service. |
| Housesitting Instructions | To prepare your home for a house sitter, create a detailed document with crucial information like keys, alarm codes, vehicle details, and any special instructions for pets or plants. Ensure the house is comfortable, clean, and safe, leaving a welcome meal and supplies for the sitter. Also, include a list of local contacts like vets and pharmacies. |
| Pet Care Agreement | A Pet Care Agreement, also known as a pet sitting contract, clearly outlines the terms of a pet care relationship between a pet owner and a pet sitter, including services provided, payment, and responsibilities. It helps clarify expectations. reduce misunderstandings. |
| Request for Birth Certificate | Form for requesting a copy of your or a family member’s birth certificate. |
| Request for Death Certificate | To obtain a death certificate in California, you can request a certified copy from either the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (if the death occurred in LA County) or the California Department of Public Health – Vital Records (CDPH-VR) (if the death occurred anywhere in California). |
| Subscription or Membership Cancellation Form | A subscription or membership cancellation form is a tool used to streamline the process of ending a membership or subscription. It allows organizations to efficiently collect necessary details from members who wish to cancel, such as contact information, the type of membership/subscription, and reasons for cancellation. |
| Temporary Guardianship Authorization | A temporary guardianship authorization in California grants an individual, over the age of 18, the temporary authority to care for a child and make decisions on their behalf, typically for a limited time, often no more than six months. This is usually granted in emergency situations or when parents are unable to care for the child. A temporary guardianship agreement can be established through a court order or a private agreement with the child’s parent(s). |
Personal Finance
| General Bill of Sale | A bill of sale contains a description of the property sold, the price the buyer paid, and the contact information of both parties and their signatures |
| Limited Power of Attorney for Finances | A Limited Power of Attorney for Finances allows an individual (the “principal”) to grant specific, limited authority to another person (the “agent”) to handle financial matters on their behalf. |
| Promissory Note | A signed document containing a written promise to pay a stated sum to a specified person or the bearer at a specified date or on demand. A promissory note, unfortunately, is often unsecured |
| Revocation of Power of Attorney | A revocation of power of attorney is a legal document that revokes the authority granted in a previous power of attorney (POA). It essentially cancels the powers previously delegated to an agent or attorney-in-fact by the principal. This is done to remove the agent’s ability to act on the principal’s behalf. |
Our initial interview will identify the appropriate documents needed for your estate planning services. We have worked with attorneys, and the package we use receives updates as they come out. We are confident that what we prepare will stand up to any legal challenges.
The law is clear, so you should take comfort knowing that in your absence, these documents will ensure your wishes are carried out. We would like to encourage you to view our schedule and book your initial interview. That is the beginning of the estate planning process. We can meet in person or in a web conference. Chat is also available should you have questions of any type.
