An Estate Plan Is Essential

We’ve been helping Orange County residents protect their assets and their loved ones for more than 35 years

An Estate Plan Is Essential

We’ve been helping Orange County residents protect their assets and their loved ones for more than 35 years

Don’t Be One Of The Procrastinators

People take steps every day to protect their loved ones and plan for their future. That’s what makes it all the more amazing that so many people – estimates place it at more than half of all adults in the U.S. – do not have estate plans in place.

An estate plan is not strictly for wealthy families, nor is it something you can wait until later in life to address. If you have loved ones in your life and you have accumulated even modest assets, you need an estate plan. At The Law Office of Stuart A. McKenzie, we help individuals and families throughout Orange County and Southern California create comprehensive estate plans.

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Why An Estate Plan Is Important

Most people know that an estate plan provides clear directions to your beneficiaries about how you want your assets treated upon your death. Fewer people realize that an estate plan also includes instructions for what life-saving measures you wish to be taken if you become severely ill and names representatives who you trust to make financial and medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so.

Estate plans can also:

  • Allow parents to determine how their minor children should be cared for if they can no longer provide care
  • Minimize taxes paid on assets by beneficiaries
  • Establish a plan for charitable contributions
  • Supplement the care of a special needs child while ensuring that he or she still qualifies for government benefits
  • Pass assets to children from a previous marriage
  • Provide more control over when a beneficiary receives inheritance or how it can be used
  • Help to avoid probate

Assisting With Estate Administration

We also help executors and other family members with issues regarding probate, which is the court-appointed process of collecting a decedent’s assets, paying off debtors and distributing the remaining assets to beneficiaries. The probate process can be complex and poses potential legal liability for those who are tasked with administering an estate. It is wise to enlist the help of a knowledgeable attorney who will guide you through the process. The firm represents executors in will disputes or those who wish to contest a will.

Because attorney Stuart McKenzie is a solo practitioner, you will work directly with him from the initial consultation through the completion of your estate planning matter. Mr. McKenzie invests the time to learn about your situation in order to tailor an estate plan that reflects your needs. This personal attention pays dividends if it becomes necessary to update an existing estate plan to reflect life changes.

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Don’t Take Chances

Dying without a will could mean your wishes are not followed.

Learn How We Can Help