Understanding Wills, Trusts, and Other Estate Plan Tools in Kansas
Our Kansas estate planning attorneys can assist you in making a plan now that protects your interests and the future interests of your family.
What Documents are Part of an Estate Plan?
Each estate plan is unique and requires its own set of documents depending on your wishes and what you want to protect and pass to your loved ones after death. Some essential legal documents commonly used in a Kansas estate plan are a will, trust, powers of attorney, and a living will in Sedgwick County and surrounding Kansas areas.
We help clients prepare the following documents:
- Last will and testament (will): A will is a legal document that sets forth your plan to distribute your assets upon your death. Sometimes a will designates who will receive your assets and how. For example, it may establish a testamentary trust to provide for minor children. When you have a revocable living trust, we have the will distribute any assets subject to probate to your trust, which is where your estate plan is designed to distribute assets. This document is called a pour-over will. Our will and trust attorneys develop a trust to work with your will.
- Trusts: A trust is a legal agreement that provides for assets to be held in trust, with a trustee to hold property, manage the property, and distribute property to the designated beneficiaries. There are many different types of trusts for different purposes. Our trust attorneys help you determine the right trust for your needs.
- Powers of attorney: Medical powers of attorney let you designate a loved one to make medical decisions on your behalf when you can’t make them for yourself. A general or durable power of attorney allows a named person to make decisions about financial matters. These documents can limit your agent to specific circumstances or grant them a broad range of power.
- Living wills: A living will documents your wishes regarding medical treatment and end-of-life care if you can’t make decisions due to incapacitation. Combined with a medical power of attorney and HIPAA release, it allows someone you trust to advocate for you in emergencies.
There may be additional tools available to help you meet your needs and goals. Contact our team of experienced Wichita estate planning attorneys to learn what options may be suitable for you now and after a loved one’s death during the probate and estate administration process.
Larson, Brown & Ebert, PA is here to help you and your loved ones understand Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Administration, Medicaid Planning, Veterans Planning, and Farm and Ranch Planning. Our Wichita, Kansas, law firm welcomes the opportunity to consult with clients in Wichita and surrounding Kansas areas to learn more about how we can help meet your estate planning needs.