Articles Posted in Estates

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Estates can be orderly or chaotic; the individual determines the state of affairs. A simple will can make life easier for everyone. Too many people keep putting off drafting a will until the future. Kicking the can down the street has consequences that are rough for beneficiaries. Group legal plans promote simple wills as a pre-paid legal services benefit, and plan members should not ignore this chore.

 

The Probate Hassle

 

The mission of the probate court is to assure the distribution of the estate to the rightful beneficiaries. Dying intestate, without a will, makes matters difficult as the state tumbles into probate bureaucracy. Probate court can be a spider’s web of regulations and procedures. The court appoints an administrator to supervise the estate’s distribution. That person reports directly to the court. Seeking court approval for various actions will slow down the process. It can take months before the estate is formally closed. Continue reading

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The advances in modern medicine are nearly miraculous. People who were once considered terminal cases now have a fighting chance to recover, survive, and thrive. Consumers are becoming aware of new therapies and treatments and they are also more cost-conscious. They want second opinions and will decide what they would like to have as their treatment. That freedom of choice is excellent, but it does not mean anything if the patient is unresponsive.

Following the Protocols

Healthcare providers will follow standard protocols of treatment if they have no other instructions from the patient. These procedures might not be what the patient wants. The treatments could also be costly. Nevertheless, without the patient’s instructions, the protocols will be followed. It would be beneficial if group legal plans provided living wills and medical powers of attorney benefits. The documents offer these valuable benefits:

  1. The living will specifies what medical procedures will be used if the patient is not responsive;
  2. Medical powers of attorney authorize a trusted person to make decisions for an unresponsive patient. That person knows what the patient wants and instructs the healthcare providers accordingly.

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Group Legal Plans encourage members to use the simple will drafting benefit. It isn’t too complicated and a simple will determines how an estate is distributed. It prevents a lot of probate court hassles and there is something else even more important. This pre-paid legal services option can prevent a major family feud.

Estates Can Be Messy

A death in the family will bring loved ones together in a spirit of mutual grieving and sympathy. The estate left behind can pull that same family apart and create domestic chaos. Relatives can grumble about what is specified in a will but that is all they can do. However, in an estate without a will a family can quickly become involved in a vicious battle.

The probate court becomes intimately involved. An administrator is appointed by the bench and reports directly to the court. There is no executor to keep things running smoothly. Family disputes over who gets what can create hard feelings that take years to reconcile. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services is a Group Legal Plan vendor that has drafting simple wills as an option. Continue reading

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Death will come unannounced. An individual may die while asleep or from an unexpected heart attack. While we can’t always prepare for death, we can protect our loved ones from the consequences with a simple will.

People Forget

You can’t take it with you is an old saying. It is true, but you can leave a hot mess when you exit. Dying without a will leaves your loved ones in a state of limbo. Probate court appoints an administrator who reports directly to the bench. There is no executor of the will and the estate settlement will drag on for months or even years.

People forget to write wills and families pay for such negligence. There are bills to be paid such as tuition and badly needed money from an estate is not available. Moreover, there can be bitter squabbles over the estate that result in long-term family feuds. Group legal plans will draft simple wills for plan members. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services will prepare those final documents as a benefit option. Continue reading

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Group legal plans will advertise their ability to write wills. It is an excellent idea to have one and a last will should be on everyone’s bucket list. It isn’t. Too many people put off one until later. They believe they are too young to need one. It is a mistake to think that way and survivors pay for the error.

Time and Trouble

An excuse for not drafting a will might be state law. More states are eliminating estate taxes (by the way, you still need to report estate information to determine if you must pay other taxes). It’s only an excuse and not a real justification for ignoring something very important.

The will directs how an estate is to be managed and how assets are dispersed. No will means the probate court gets involved. It results in every estate decision requiring court approval. Delays are expensive. Survivors with large bills or college tuitions must wait months or even years for the final disbursement. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services knows how frustrating all of this is for family survivors. We provide a will writing option as a group legal plan benefit. Continue reading

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A will is something everyone needs, but not everyone drafts one properly. There are those who will write their own on a piece of paper and others who use an online template. Such methods have the potential of creating drastic consequences. Wills composed this way can leave behind a great deal of confusion and trouble for survivors.

Doing Things on the Cheap

An individual may want to avoid legal fees and use an online website to draft a will. Such templates are not as good as a pre-paid legal services benefit. These DIY wills may not contain all the right words or be updated to include new language. The average person doesn’t know all the right phrases and will make composition errors. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services wants to help people avoid serious legal accidents. We have drafting wills as a group legal plan option.

Professionals Draft Simple Wills

Countrywide allows for wills of up to six pages to be written. We believe that is enough for the average group legal plan member. Our nationwide network of attorneys has considerable experience in drafting wills. They write a document which will have no issues with probate court. Continue reading

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Employees will be sitting down with their financial advisors in the coming weeks to look at money affairs. It is a time when some serious financial decisions are going to be made, which will affect the clients saving and spending in the future. Something that every financial professional is going to recommend to his or her clients is the importance of a will. It is a cornerstone of sensible money management.

Keeping Things in Order

A will is a legal document that prevents estate chaos. Beneficiaries and loved ones will receive what the will specifies, and an executor will be tasked with making all disbursements and presenting required reports to tax officials. Those who die without a will leave behind considerable legal trouble.

The lack of a last will means that probate court takes charge. A court-appointed administrator assumes the management of the estate, but this person has limited authority. He or she must report back to the court on various decisions and this can delay disbursement. This is going to harm beneficiaries. Group legal plans will draft last wills and testaments. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services does this and adds a little bit more. Continue reading

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Group legal plans will specialize in drafting simple wills. It is the type of pre-paid services benefit everyone likes. Even though it is sensible financial planning, writing a will can also prevent a major domestic problem: the family feud.

Estate Battles are Brutal

Estates will bring out the worst even in tightknit families. A cousin or a sister may lay claim to a certain item, while a nephew insists he was entitled to some money. Arguments can even start up at the viewing or the funeral. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services provides a will writing service for group legal plan members.

We do not use templates or fill in the blank forms. Our clients are all over the country and different states have unique rules about estates. Countrywide services rely on our nationwide network of attorneys. These professionals sit down with group legal plan members and go over the mechanics of the last will. We must remind you that we compose simple wills. Anything more than six pages is not part of the pre-paid legal services benefit. Still, most employees don’t need elaborate wills with lengthy clauses and codicils. We provide the services most truly need. Continue reading

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These Documents Provide Terminal Guidance

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We often think our last moments will be in a bed surrounded by loved ones. It is a very romantic picture, but it is not often the case. Instead, a dying or comatose person is surrounded by nurses and doctors wondering what to do. Healthcare professionals are required to keep a person alive as long as possible. It can stretch out into days, weeks, and months. A living will is an important benefit a group legal plan should offer.

Living Wills Are Instructions

The final stage of a person’s life could be brought on by a catastrophic emergency. It could be an auto accident or a massive heart attack either of which might leave a person still living, but barely. The  victim may be completely unresponsive and is surviving due to life support system. Modern technology can extend life, but it might not be what the victim wants. Continue reading

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Gives the Instructions Hospitals Need

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Most people know what the last will is, but not everybody understands a living will. It doesn’t seem to make sense; wills are meant for after you die, right? That is not the case at all. A living will is something drafted to be in effect when you’re alive, and a good group legal plan offers drafting a living will as a service.

Preventing a Catastrophe

A living will is something to prepare in the event of a medical disaster. A person may be the victim or an auto accident or a massive stroke. This individual is left comatose in either circumstance and cannot communicate what he or she wants done as far as medical care is concerned.

The hospital will work to keep an individual alive even if he or she is flatlined in a brain scan. It means life-support systems are kept running, possibly for years. Family members are thus required to endure a wait that could last indefinitely into the future. Nothing can be done with the person’s estate, and this adds to the tragedy. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services does not want anyone to have to suffer through something like this. Drafting a living will is an option of a Countrywide group legal plan. Continue reading