Life is unpredictable. You never know what happens next. No matter what you own, you should ensure that your assets go to the right people after your death. Estate planning is not just dying either. It is also about ensuring that you have arrangements in place for all eventualities, such as incapacitation. In New Jersey, you can contact the lawyers of Scott Counsel for an assessment. In this post, we are discussing some aspects for which you may need an estate planning attorney.

1. You want to draft a last will and testament. True to the name, the last will decides what happens to your estate when you die. You can decide who gets what and choose a guardian for your children. You can also use your will to donate to charities.
2. You need help with your living will. Also called an advance directive, a living allows you to decide what happens if and when you become ill and cannot communicate your wishes. You can also choose things related to medical care and funeral arrangements.
3. You want to set up a living trust. You can choose to have a living trust and transfer some or all your assets into it. You can choose the trustee for your fund, who will be responsible for making decisions. Assets that are transferred to a living trust don’t have to go through the probate process after you die.
4. You want advice on choosing beneficiaries. While you can choose beneficiaries for your bank and investment accounts easily, you may want to talk to a lawyer when it comes to your properties and assets. They can also guide you on how you can minimize the risks that are associated with estate planning.
5. You want to draft the power of attorneys. You can choose to have a financial power of attorney, which will decide who gets to make financial decisions if you cannot do so due to your illness or incapacitation. On the contrary, a medical power of attorney decides who makes health decisions for you when you are unable to do so.

Meeting an estate planning attorney can help you understand how the process works and how you can tackle more precise things related to your situation. You can also seek advice on how to choose trusts or create a plan that would minimize taxes. Refrain from assuming that you can deal with everything alone, especially because state laws are often extremely specific.