Murrieta Wills & Trusts Lawyer

Estate Planning Customized to Your Needs

Wills and trusts are essential components of comprehensive estate planning. These documents can be used to ensure that assets and property are distributed to your intended beneficiaries. The Khan Law Firm offers legal services for creating wills and trusts for clients throughout North San Diego County. Our Murrieta wills and trusts lawyer will evaluate your situation, explain your options, and provide the information you need to make informed decisions for all your estate planning needs.

Why Making a Will Matters

Without a will, your assets, property, and valued possessions may not be passed on according to your wishes. When someone passes without specifying beneficiaries or how they would like their belongings distributed, California law will dictate how the property and assets are distributed. We take the time to understand your goals and wishes, advise you about any issues, and help you craft a will that accurately conveys your wishes and protects your beneficiaries.

Types of Wills

Are you contemplating setting up a will? Indecisive about which type would be most beneficial for your assets and beneficiaries? There are a variety of options available which include:

• Simple Wills: Usually taken into consideration when there is direction on how to distribute assets and the estate to the beneficiaries. If there are no complexities, a simple will is a viable option.

• Testamentary Trust Wills: Placing a fraction of the estate in a trust, beneficiaries can receive the money from the trustee.

• Joint Wills: Used when spouses are planning to leave their property to the other. This will cannot be abolished once the first spouse passes.

• Living Wills: Includes detailed directions for your medical treatment when you are incapacitated.

Benefits of Living Trusts

The primary reason more people are using living trusts is to avoid the delay and expense of probate. This is particularly useful in states with complex probate process, such as California. The size of the estate may also dictate the best way to structure a trust. The probate process is simplified for estates worth less than $150,000, but larger estates benefit from a living trust and large estates with many valuable assets may require an AB trust.

Does a Living Trust Need to be Notarized in California?

In short, yes a living trust must be notarized in order to make it a legal document. There are a handful of steps you need to take when creating your legal trust, including having it notarized.

The steps to create a living trust include:

• Creating a trust document with instructions about who will inherit the property and assets in the trust
• Name a trustee (usually yourself)
• Sign the trust document and have it notarized
• Transfer the property included in the trust into your name as trustee

Everyone should have a will, even if you set up a living trust. The will covers any property or assets that aren’t included in your trust. Any new assets or property acquired can be distributed according to the terms of your will, if it doesn’t make it into the trust. Because every estate is unique, we recommend that you meet with our wills and trusts attorney in Murrieta. We listen to your goals and work with you to create an estate plan that conveys your wishes and suits your needs.