Heath Ledger. Whitney Houston. River Phoenix. Brittany Murphy. Cory Monteith.  When beloved stars die suddenly – at a young age – we are saddened and shocked.

Unexpected things, bad and good, can happen to anyone, any time.  And if you are mature (I hate to say “old”) enough to feel and think about these issues, then you are mature enough to plan for the future, especially in the face of “what if…”

You could begin with an estate plan.  You don’t actually have to own an “estate.”  It’s a legal term that covers a lot of things, including the documents you should absolutely have in place, even if you don’t own a lot of things, or are just starting a family, or just starting to realize that your future includes a significant other!

First of all, you should have a will.  It’s about the people, places, and things, that matter the most, and about having your wishes and values realized.  If you have minor children, you will want to nominate a legal guardian to care for them, and their finances, if that becomes necessary. Hopefully you don’t have any health issues now, but you still should have a comprehensive advance health care directive, just in case. And, if you do have assets of any type, then it’s really smart to have an estate planning attorney set up arrangements to protect them, and to attempt to minimize tax consequences for your beneficiaries.

This is what I do.  As an estate planning attorney, it is my job to keep the “what ifs” from becoming “now whats?”  Let’s work together to develop a plan for you.  If you would like help with any estate planning questions, please contact us at 818.956.9200.

Glendale Location

616 E. Glenoaks Boulevard, Suite 203

Glendale, CA 91207

Sherman Oaks Location

15303 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 900

Sherman Oaks, CA 91403