San Francisco Elder and Estate Planning
- Wills & Probate
- Living Trusts & Trust Administration
- Durable Powers of Attorney for Property/Finances
- Advance Health Care Directives;HIPAA; POLST (pink form)
- Conservatorships
- Medi-Cal: Long-Term and Nursing Home Care & Asset Management
- LGBT, Same-Sex Domestic Partnerships, Gay Marriage
Do You Need Estate Planning?
Whether you are young, middle-aged, elderly or old; single, married, a domestic partner or divorced; straight or gay (LGBT), in addition to making sure your loved ones are taken care of at your death, you must also take care to ensure your well-being throughout your life, in sickness and in health.
Common responses to "Have you done an estate plan?" include statements like:
Widow: "I don't really have an estate, I only have some money in a checking account, some personal jewelry and my Persian cat, Leila."
Domestic Partner: "I don't really have an estate. John and I have a house in joint tenancy so, when I die, it will bypass Probate and pass directly to John, right?."
Grandfather: "Oh sure. I made a Will about five years ago before my grandkids were born. I'm sure it covers everything."
Well, the good news is that, whoever you are, however old you are and regardless of how little or how much money or other assets you have, YOU DO HAVE AN ESTATE!!!
The bad news is that, UNLESS YOU TAKE THE TIME to ensure that both you and what you have is safely monitored if you should become INCAPACITATED, and UNLESS YOU TAKE THE TIME to prepare an estate plan so that, at your DEATH, what you have goes to the people you want it to go to, your estate could wind up such a mess that neither you during your life, nor your loved ones after your death, will be adequately taken care of.