Estate Planning

Dan and Caroline

A properly designed estate plan will provide peace of mind and ensure that your legal affairs will be in order and that your family will have the necessary legal documents to handle the situation without undue stress if you become incapacitated or die. Campbell Miller Law offers tailored estate planning solutions to individuals and families that reflect each client’s unique circumstances and wishes. Whether you want to avoid probate, reduce estate taxes, or provide for your children’s care and support, we can help you design a straightforward estate plan that achieves your goals.

Understanding Estate Planning

The term "estate plan" refers to a variety of legal documents, including but not limited to a Will, Powers of Attorney, Health Care Directive, Burial Wishes, and other documents that instruct your loved ones about your wishes if you become incapacitated or pass away. Every individual and family should take the proactive step of preparing an estate plan before the need arises to save money, ensure your wishes are followed, and to help avoid family conflict and delay in asset distribution upon death.

How to Start Planning

Step 1: Do Your Homework. When you work with us at Campbell Miller Law, you can expect to receive homework, and the first assignment for our estate planning clients is to prepare an inventory assets and any debts, including values. Understanding the nature and extent of your finances helps us determine if you may have a taxable estate and guides the conversation about how to achieve your goals for each asset. You do not need to provide us with your financial statements or put us in touch with your financial planner, but you do need to think about each of your assets and where you want them to go upon your death. We help you utilize the appropriate tools, including beneficiary designations on accounts, transfer on death deed for real estate, community property agreements, and wills and trusts to transfer your assets to your intended beneficiaries after your death. 

Step 2: Pick Your People. An important component of your estate plan is choosing people you trust to make decisions and act on your behalf. If you are unable to make decisions about your health care or manage your finances, the Power of Attorney documents we prepare as part of your estate plan designate who is authorized to make the decisions and act for you. After your death, the person you designate in your Will as your Personal Representative, otherwise known as your Executor, makes sure your property passes according to your wishes and that your final bills are paid. 

We recommend that you select at least two individuals, in order of preference, whom you trust to act on your behalf as your attorney-in-fact (Power of Attorney) and Personal Representative. Our estate plans include a Will, and Powers of Attorney for Financial Matters and Health Care Matters so you can pick the people you trust to represent you.

Step 3: Review and Sign Your Estate Plan. Remember that part about homework? Your final assignment is to read your prepared documents and meet at our office to sign them. We will provide the notarization services and necessary witnesses.  We provide you with both original and electronic copies of your fully signed estate plan.

Estate Plan Core Components

Our estate planning services include reviewing your existing documents, and updating or preparing:

  • Wills, Codicils, Trusts
  • Community Property and Relationship Agreements
  • Powers of Attorney (Financial, Health Care, Child Care)
  • Advanced Health Care Directive (Living Will)
  • Burial Wishes
  • Revocable Transfer on Death Deeds

We look forward to getting to know you and creating an estate plan that gives you a sense of peace of mind knowing that you checked an important life task off your to-do list. 

We Make House Calls

If transportation is a challenge for you, we are happy to work with you in the comfort of your home.