Estate Planning

What is Estate Planning?

Estate Planning is the process of arranging the future management of one’s assets and wealth for distribution after one’s death. This involves the creation of legal documents (for example, Wills, Trusts, and Powers of Attorney) to ensure that the client’s wishes are carried out, their loved ones are provided for, and Estate Taxes are minimized.

What is Included?

Estate Planning includes decisions about inheritance, financial affairs, healthcare preferences, and guardianship for dependents. The goal is to help loved ones avoid controversy and expense by providing a clear, efficient roadmap for handling one’s estate after one’s death.

No matter how large or small your estate is, having a predetermined plan set in place prior to your death is essential in safeguarding your family’s legacy. The perception that only the wealthy need to consider End-Of-Life Plans is the single biggest deterrent to Estate Planning and can lead to disastrous consequences.

You need to establish or revise an Estate Plan when these significant life events occur:

• Milestones such as marriage, divorce, or remarriage.
• The acquisition of new property or assets (vehicles, homes, rental properties, etc.)
• You experienced a major health event or received news of a terminal illness.
• You are retiring.
• The birth or adoption of a child.
• A family member with special needs now requires ongoing support.
• Your parent or loved one has become incapacitated.
• You are self-employed or own a business.

Protecting Your Legacy For Generations To Come

My Estate Planning services are not complete when you have a plan. I offer a free review of your estate plan every three years so that together, we can keep your plan current with up-to-date strategies no matter what life brings.

The reality is that most people do not need a fancy or expensive estate plan. But almost everyone needs a plan based on their personal situation that correctly expresses their wishes per Louisiana law.

At The Law Office of Alan Kansas, LLC, Estate Planning clients get more:

1. Personalized Service.  Every client works directly with me. We sit down together and design the right plan for you and your personal situation. I will prepare your documents myself. There will be no legal assistant helping you fill out forms before an attorney comes in to whisk you through signing.

2. Flat Fee Estate Plans. The price you pay will depend on what plan options you choose. I will work with you to create your plan for not much more than you could spend on a “Do it Yourself” will kit and a brief phone call with an anonymous lawyer. You will know what it will do and what it will not do. And you will know exactly what everything costs before you pay a penny to work with me.

3. Complete Solutions, so things don’t fall through the cracks. The Estate Plans I create with my clients include vital documents that can often be overlooked with do-it-yourself or cheapest available options:

   A Healthcare Power of Attorney and a General Power of Attorney to ensure that if you are disabled and unable to act for yourself, the right people have the legal authority to make medical and business decisions for you.  

4. Guardianship Nominations. For parents of minor children, Alan’s Estate Plans include a family emergency protection kit. This is a set of documents – not just a Nomination of Guardian stuck in the envelope with a Last Will and Testament – to make sure that children are taken care of by the right people and never stuck in the custody of the State if a tragedy occurs.

   When you leave them, your loved ones will need the right information to find and access accounts, subscriptions, and other benefits that often get lost or held by the State as unclaimed property. As part of the Estate Planning process at the Law Office of Alan Kansas, we create a roadmap that will give them the information they will need to ensure that all your assets are properly transferred to your loved ones and that nothing gets lost or taken by the State.

5. Free lifetime reviews. As your life and the law change, your plan must be reviewed and modified periodically to ensure it is still up to date. Every plan I create comes with a free review session ($400 value) every three years from completion. This way, you get a legal advisor as you navigate through the journey of life.

Finally, to make all this work, you need more than just any lawyer; you need someone who will listen, help solve problems, and follow through to make sure to get the details right. That is what I do. I hope you will let me help you with personal, practical Estate Planning services.