When a client meets with me about Estate Planning, after some discussion, I usually find that in order to take care of their future needs and desires they will need a Last Will & Testament, a Financial Power of Attorney, a Health Care Power of Attorney and a Living Will.

These are the documents that I personally have. These are also the Estate Planning documents I have prepared for numerous friends and family members. They are simple documents that don’t have to cost a lot of money but can properly take care of all your future needs. 

Usually not, but it all depends on the value of your estate and certain tax planning aspects of your particular financial situation. However, for most families, the aforementioned documents take care of all their needs and insure when they become ill or pass away, their estates are properly handled. 

A Last Will & Testament is a legal document we all need. In the state of Tennessee, if you don’t have a Will, the law establishes who will receive your estate. And you may not like who gets everything you’ve worked so hard to accumulate. Take charge of who gets what, when and under what circumstances in your Last Will & Testament.

The biggest misconception about on-line legal forms is that they are substantially less expensive than having a proper attorney prepare documents for you. That is categorically false. While certainly, attorney fees can become expensive, if you are looking to have a simple estate planning packet prepared you will find that local attorneys are competitive in their pricing.

I answer these questions everyday by telling my clients what I have done with my Last Will & Testament.

My Last Will & Testament, along with my Powers of Attorney and my Living Will, are all in my desk drawer, in my office.

They are not under lock and key. And I have told many people where they are located.

They are not recorded at the Wilson County Register’s Office and I have not given a copy of them to anybody.

I find that many clients have heard that the probate process can be time consuming and very expensive. In other states it often can be. In Wilson County and surrounding counties, with the process can be taken care of in four months and the cost is reasonable. 

Being in a position to have to ask the Court to establish a Conservatorship over a family member or friend is hard. However, often that person can not receive the appropriate medical care or state benefits, unless someone is able to step in and legally help them.