The services offered by an estate planning attorney often focus on retirement age seniors, but you should have a plan long before you reach that time. Making early arrangements can help protect you and your family at any point in your life. The below guide shows the benefits of an estate plan, regardless of how old you are.

Why You Should Visit an Estate Planning Attorney

1. Safeguard Assets

Once you die, your estate enters probate, which involves liquidating assets to settle debts and pay your final estate tax. However, hiring an estate planning attorney can help you preserve your assets. Your lawyer can draft a trust and other documents, ensuring your beneficiaries receive the assets you intend for them.

2. Record Emergency Wishes

Estate planning involves more than drafting wills and trusts. Your attorney can also prepare documents that detail your desires if you are unable to communicate them. These documents can grant powers of attorney to individuals that you choose. If an injury or illness leaves you unable to communicate, someone else can make your healthcare decisions for you. A separate document can appoint an individual as your financial power. This person will have temporary control over your finances, investments, and debts.

3. Protect Minor Children 

If you don’t choose a guardian for your minor children, the court may appoint someone you find undesirable to look after them. Fortunately, you can select a guardian and name that person in your will. You’ll know that someone you trust will love and care for your children if you die while they’re still young.

4. Avoid Confusion & Disputes

Finally, creating an estate plan will help prevent disputes among your loved ones. The legally binding documents you create with your attorney reveal your final wishes, so no one must guess what you wanted. When someone dies without a will, legal battles that can tie up your assets indefinitely and cause rifts among loved ones.

Making your wishes known is necessary for many reasons. An experienced estate planning attorney can help you create a plan that protects your loved ones, your assets, and yourself. Swartz Law Office has been providing estate planning services to the community of Batavia, OH, for many years so that they can address all of your concerns. To experience the personalized legal services they provide, call (513) 732-0900. For more information about their services, visit the website.