While it’s no understatement to say that Belmont is a small place, the area has its own unique history. Those who have made Belmont their home have their own histories too, and they seek to preserve them through sound and responsible planning. If you reside in Belmont or the surrounding areas, you can count on Loew Law Group, PLC, to advise you. We assist clients with estate planning, probate, and civil litigation issues.
Estate Planning To Protect Your Family in Belmont, California
If you were to pass away suddenly, what would happen to your property and debts? What if you sustained an accident and were unable to make decisions for yourself or run the family business? Questions like these can become realities in an instant, which is why one of the most critical steps you can take to protect yourself and your family is to create a comprehensive estate plan.
It starts with a last will and testament, sometimes simply called a will. This document directs who inherits your property and pays your final expenses after your death. You can use it to name an executor to manage your estate and name a guardian to take care of your minor children if you and the child’s other parent die at the same time. A skilled attorney can help you properly draft and execute your last will and testament.
Planning for the Future: The Benefits of Trusts and Business Succession for Your Estate
The next topic you and your attorney should discuss is a trust. You don’t have to be wealthy to have a trust. This instrument is used to manage complex assets but it can also provide financial support for your loved ones, minimize estate taxes, and avoid the expensive probate process. Talk to your attorney about revocable and irrevocable trusts and how they can help your family.
Business owners should consider adopting a business succession plan. Think of this as an estate plan for your business. If you were to suddenly pass away or become incapacitated, the succession plan makes sure the right people take over the company and continue its operations.
Essential Legal Documents for Incapacity Planning: Living Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Conservatorships
Three other important documents are the living will, durable power of attorney, and advance medical directive. These instruments are used to designate trusted individuals who will take care of your medical, financial, and personal matters if you become incapacitated and cannot make decisions for yourself. They each serve distinct purposes and should be included in any estate planning.
Lastly, if you have concerns about the well-being of a loved one who has started to show signs of mental or physical limitations, you will want to discuss a conservatorship with your attorney. This document can be used to care for a relative who is unable to do so for him- or herself.
Belmont Civil Litigation Cases
Your attorney will take steps to draft estate planning documents that are legally sound and leave little if any room for ambiguity. Nonetheless, even the most carefully written documents are not absolutely immune to potential lawsuits. For instance, a family member might feel that he or she was wrongly denied a particular inheritance. Beneficiaries may not like how the trustee or executor is managing the estate plan. Problems like these, and many others, can trigger civil litigation.
Whether you are a plaintiff (such as a beneficiary) or a defendant (such as an executor), we can represent you. Our civil litigation practice handles such claims as:
- Allegations of undue influence
- Executor or trustee mismanagement of estate or trust assets
- Breaches of fiduciary duty
- Concerns of wrongfully being excluded from a will
Whether you’re on the receiving end of these and other allegations, or it’s time to take action against someone engaged in wrongful conduct, we’re here to fight for you. Our experienced civil litigation counsel works to resolve lawsuits as expeditiously as possible, sometimes through mediation or other alternative dispute resolution methods. If a case cannot settle, however, we will go to court and advocate for you.
Trust Administration And Guidance
It’s an honor to be named a trustee for someone’s trust. It can also be a little frightening. Trustees must carry out certain fiduciary duties that put the needs of the beneficiaries above their own. Failure to carry out these obligations could result in legal problems.
Fortunately, you have a trusted ally in Loew Law Group. Our attorneys help trustees administer trusts responsibly, legally, and ethically. We will review your trust duties and help you carry them out so the trust can be properly managed and closed.
Our Fight To End Elder Abuse
Elder abuse remains an ongoing problem. Some examples are telemarketing scams, email phishing, and identity theft targeting the elderly. In some cases, unfortunately, the abuse comes from family members who abuse their relationship to take advantage of an elderly relative.
Our firm fights elder abuse by taking civil action against those who engage in it. Reach out to us if you believe an older loved one is being abused in any way.
Helping With Probate
Many estate plans are required to go through probate. This process takes time, but our attorneys can make probate less complicated and stressful. If you’re an executor, administrator, or estate personal representative, let us assist you with probate. We’re experienced in handling all types of estates.
Contact Our Belmont Probate, Trust and Estate Planning, and Civil Litigation Attorney
Loew Law Group is a comprehensive estate planning law firm that handles probate, civil litigation, elder abuse, and many other related practice areas. Our trusted and dedicated team is here to work with you no matter what your estate planning needs are. Contact us to schedule your consultation.