Best Probate Attorneys in Clovis, CA

Estate planning is the accumulation, the preservation and the distribution of your assets. It is accomplishing your personal family goals and easing the management of your estate, as well as minimizing taxes.

If you die intestate, the transfer of your property is accomplished through a court-supervised proceeding called probate that generally takes a minimum of six months, typically a year or more. These proceedings generally are expensive and time-consuming, and tie up your property for several months. Probate can be avoided with proper estate planning.

Generally, any individual can create a power of attorney if over 18 years of age, a resident of the state in which it is created, and legally competent. This, however, varies from state to state.

In general, an agent may be anyone who is legally competent and over the age of 18. Usually, it is a family member such as a spouse or a child. More than one person can be named as an agent. However, sometimes naming two or more individuals to act together can prove inconvenient, particularly if a power of attorney must be exercised promptly. A better course is to name one individual as agent and then another as a backup.

A general power of attorney authorizes your agent to do almost everything on your behalf which you could do for yourself. A limited power of attorney authorizes your agent to perform only certain acts specifically listed in the document.