I know it’s important to have a will and trust to protect my family if anything were to happen. What steps do I need to take in doing this? I am assuming someone who does California wills and trusts would be able to help me out, but I wanted to see if anyone had some experience with this before I go out and find a lawyer.
If you can’t get a personal recommendation, you can get a referral from the CA bar. Avoid DIY and Internet sites. You will have great difficulty amending the documents as your situation changes. They also contain language that can be dangerous later. For example, the first sentence is usually something to the affect of void all previous wills, etc. That sounds nice until your heirs realize you forgot to include something in the new will that was in the old one. The old one doesn’t apply because the language of the new will is very clear. The old one doesn’t apply anymore. Lawyers make a killing on probating DIY wills and trusts. You can either pay now to have it done correctly by a competent attorney or your heirs can pay later.
Ok, I’ll have to check into the CA bar. Does anyone know any specifics on San Diego lawyers, though? I would really be interested in personal recommendations of local lawyers. It would be a great help. Thanks!
Why not ask the professionals in your area who they use and recommend. If you want personal referrals, ask your accountant, your doctor, your dentist, your estate planner – you get the idea.