Having an estate plan in place will allow you to protect your loved ones beyond your lifetime. Estate planning can be a process many people avoid or put off, but we can assure you having one in place is always better than not. By having a plan in place you can assure that your assets in New Mexico are protected and your loved ones are looked after. With over 23 years of experience and more than 600 estate plans and probate administrations, our estate attorneys know how to help you craft a plan that you can feel confident in.
Power of Attorney
Granting someone power of attorney allows them to act on your behalf in legal and/or financial matters. Choosing who you would want to be the agent under your power of attorney, what powers they should be given, and when the powers should become effective can help you prepare for the unexpected, should you become incapacitated for any reason.
Wills & Trusts
The core of any estate plan is a will, sometimes coupled with a trust. A will allows you to distribute your assets in the event of your passing rather than leaving it up to the state to decide. There are a variety of different trusts you can choose from depending on your situation, but having one in place can help to eliminate the probate process in certain cases. Putting these documents in place now will provide you and your family comfort knowing there is a plan in place for the future.
Guardianship & Conservatorship
Our attorneys also specialize in assisting individuals gain legal guardianship or conservatorship when they need help assisting loved ones that are incapable of caring for themselves due to illness, injury, or any type of disability that prevents them from caring for themselves. The biggest difference between guardianship and conservatorship is a guardian becomes responsible for healthcare and other non-monetary decisions. A conservator is responsible for finances.
Health Care Directives
Having an advance health care directive in place helps to plan for the unknown in the event of a medical emergency or unexpected or lengthy illness. Health care directives may not be the most comfortable topic, but having one in place will not only make things easier for your loved ones, it will also allow you to decide how you’d like to be treated in the event of an end-of-life situation.
Probate
Probate is the process of distributing assets to the specified beneficiaries. When there is a will involved and a specific estate administrator/executor is named, the probate process can be simpler. If there is not a will involved the probate process can become more complex. In this case the court will assign someone to be the estate administrator/executor which can sometimes cause drama between family members and loved ones. This is where our attorneys can step in to help you get through the process, with as little drama possible.
At New Mexico Legal group our attorneys are experienced in handling all matters of estate planning and probate and can help guide you through the process in an efficient and painless manner. If you have any questions about estate planning contact us today.