It was a Saturday night like any other. Susan and Joe were going to dinner and a movie. They gave their babysitter their cell phone numbers, kissed their kids, Brooke (age 7) and Sammy (age 5), goodbye and told them to them to be good. It was supposed to be a fun and well-deserved night out, but then tragedy struck. On the way back home, a drunk driver crossed the median and slammed head on into Susan and Joe’s SUV, tragically killing both of them. But unfortunately, the story gets worse.
The police show up at Susan and Joe’s home only to find the babysitter, who besides being shaken up at the news, couldn’t answer any of the questions posed by the police, such as who should be called to take care of the kids and who had the legal authority to do so. Since there was no written plan they could easily access that would indicate who has legal authority to stay with the kids, the police have no choice but to send the sitter home and call Child Protective Services. Brooke and Sammy are confused and scared; they don’t know what’s going on. They are separated and put into two different foster care homes overnight.
The following day, the police locate family members of Susan and Joe. Unfortunately, Susan and Joe had not designated in writing who they wanted to take care of Brooke and Sammy. Their family members get into a huge fight about who should care for the two, frightened children. Finally, it is decided that Aunt Mary will take care of the children. She is thrilled to do so but has concerns about the additional financial burden. Susan and Joe never got around to creating a comprehensive estate plan. Because of this, their assets have to go through long drawn out and expensive court process called probate.
At the end of the day, it costs Aunt Mary a small fortune in legal expenses and then a good portion of the funds are depleted to pay estate taxes. The rest of their money is designated to be distributed outright to Brooke and Sammy when they turn 18, unprotected from lawsuits and divorce, and we all know what happens when children receive access to assets at 18.
While this specific event didn’t actually occur, it’s an all too common story. But it doesn’t have to be for your family, there is something you can do.
The only way to guarantee your family and your assets are fully protected is by having a comprehensive estate plan in place. And, even if you already have had estate planning documents prepared, I can almost guarantee they don’t adequately protect your kids. To ensure that your estate is set up for the maximum protection of your children and your assets upon your death and your loved ones have as little to worry about as possible, you should call the Law Offices of Lisa S. Golshani. By working with a qualified lawyer, you can relax and rest assured your lawyer will cover all the important details so that your family and your assets are totally protected in the event of your death or incapacity.
The Law Offices of Lisa S. Golshani is offering the readers of the Magazine of Santa Clarita an absolutely free, no obligation Family and Wealth Protection Consultation. And if you already have a plan in place, they will do a free audit of your existing plan to make sure it’s rock solid so your family won’t have to deal with a financial nightmare in the event of your death or incapacity.
Call now to get your free Family & Wealth Protection Consultation with Lisa S. Golshani. For more information, please call 661-362-0770.