Hays County Estate Planning Attorney

Hays County Probate and Estate Litigation Lawyer

While nobody knows what the future may bring, it is still important for a family to be prepared and make plans to ensure that family members will be provided for. By considering what should happen after a person's death while also putting measures in place to provide for family members' needs both now and in the future, a family can avoid uncertainty and be ready for the unexpected. Addressing these issues through an estate plan can ensure that a person and their loved ones will be provided for. When creating a comprehensive estate plan, a family can work with a lawyer to determine their best options and make sure all of the proper documents have been created correctly.

During the estate planning process, it is important to get legal help from an attorney who can provide advice and guidance to address a family's needs. Geoff Mayfield, Attorney at Law works with individuals and families to address their concerns and use estate planning tools properly. He can ensure that family members fully understand their rights and the options that are available, and he will work to help them make decisions that will address a person's wishes and provide family members with the necessary financial resources. He also provides legal help and representation following a person's death to ensure that their wishes will be carried out correctly.

Legal Help With Estate Planning and Estate Administration

An estate plan may use multiple tools to address how matters will be handled after a person's death, while also including provisions to ensure that they can meet their needs throughout the rest of their life. One of the most important parts of an estate plan is a will, which details a person's decisions about how they want to pass their property to their heirs after they die, who they would like to serve as the guardian of their minor children, how their funeral and burial should be handled, and any other wishes about their final affairs.

Trusts are another important tool that families can use to determine how ownership of assets will be handled. In these types of agreements, assets will be owned by the trust itself, and a person who is named as a trustee will be responsible for distributing these assets to the trust's beneficiaries. In a revocable living trust, the person who creates the trust may serve as the trustee, and they may also be a beneficiary during their lifetime, while a successor trustee will be named who will distribute the remaining assets to their heirs after their death. A family may also use a special needs trust to distribute certain assets to loved ones who have disabilities, which will protect their right to receive government aid such as Social Security disability benefits.

An estate plan can also make sure a person will receive the proper medical care and that their finances will be managed properly as they near the end of their life. Powers of attorney may be used to designate a person who can make decisions about a person's medical care or property. A living will or other directives may also be used to make decisions about the medical treatment that a person will receive if they are terminally ill and cannot communicate their wishes to others.

After a person's death, there are a number of legal issues related to estate administration that will need to be addressed. During the probate process, the executor of the person's estate will oversee the process of distributing their assets to their heirs. In some cases, executors may need to resolve disputes related to contested estates, or beneficiaries may need to challenge a will that they believe is invalid. By obtaining representation from an attorney who has experience with probate litigation, fiduciaries or other parties can make sure their loved one's wishes will be followed.

Contact Our Hays County Probate Litigation Attorney

Whether you need to create an estate plan that will provide for your family's needs or want to make sure you meet all of your requirements as the executor of a loved one's estate, Attorney Geoff Mayfield can provide you with experienced and dedicated legal help. For a free consultation, contact our law office at 210-535-0870. Geoff assists with estate planning and estate administration in San Marcos and throughout Hays County.