ANAHEIM TRUSTS LAWYER
Anaheim Trusts Attorney
If you’ve recently embarked on the trust writing process, it can be difficult knowing where to begin. Trusts are highly personal, and there’s no go-to approach that will work for everyone. Each individual comes to their trust from a different family situation, and everyone’s assets look different from the next person’s. So, your trust must be customized to you.
Although a trust isn’t a document, you will need to draft a document to produce your trust. Whenever you’re drafting a trust document, you could benefit from working alongside an experienced trusts lawyer. In many cases, this will make the process far smoother and easier to manage.
SHOULD I OR SHOULD I NOT DRAFT A LIVING TRUST?
To begin, not every individual will need to create a trust in the first place. Whether you’ll need to draft a living trust depends highly on your unique assets’ situation. If you’re having trouble determining whether it would make sense for you to create a living trust, here’s a quick guide.
You may benefit from a trust if:
- You’d like to avoid the complicated probate process, as well as the extensive time and high costs that come with it.
- You’d like to keep your assets protected for your children until they’re old enough to take on ownership via trust administration.
- You’d like to reduce the estate taxes you’ll face, or you’d like to avoid these taxes entirely.
- You’d like to have more flexibility when it comes to your will.
- If the settlor is incapacitated, you’d like to continue having your assets managed.
- You’d like to prevent your finances from turning into a public record in probate court.
On the other hand, if you are single, childless, a renter rather than a homeowner, and you don’t possess any substantial assets, then it’s more than likely that a trust won’t be necessary for you.
DO YOU NEED A LAWYER FOR A TRUST?
Maybe you’ve determined that drafting a living trust is in your best interest, as well as your family’s interest and the interest of your assets. Now, you’ll have to determine whether you’d like to begin the process on your own or if you’d like to work with an experienced California trusts attorney.
There are a variety of situations where you could benefit quite a bit from hiring a trusts attorney. While it can be tempting to proceed with the task on your own, your trust must have the exact effect you want. A trusts lawyer will be able to guide you, making it far easier to avoid common errors. If you have any questions about drafting a living trust, an attorney is the best resource for you.
What are some situations where it’s in your best interest to hire a trusts lawyer? Here are a few:
- Your current net worth falls near the estate tax exemption.
- You are the parent or guardian of a child with special needs.
- You are looking for expert advice about how to fund your trust.
- Or you are looking to implement complex conditions within your trust when it comes to how and when your beneficiaries will receive assets.
Even if your trust is on the simpler side, it could still be beneficial to speak with an attorney. In instances such as this, having a trained eye on your trust, or having a reliable source of advice can be incredibly useful. A California trusts attorney can also ensure that you are aware of any state laws that may affect your trust and the process of drafting it.
WHAT KIND OF LAWYER DO I NEED FOR A TRUST?
If you’re currently drafting a trust, you will benefit from hiring an estate planning lawyer. If you’re in the Anaheim, California area, then you can always turn to Christopher P. Walker, a bankruptcy and estate planning lawyer with over two decades of legal experience.
HOW MUCH DOES A LAWYER CHARGE FOR A SIMPLE WILL IN ORANGE COUNTY, CA?
The amount of money that an Orange County lawyer charges for a simple will can vary, depending on several factors. For instance, as you would probably expect, all lawyers charge differently, even for the same services. Thus, there is no singular “simple will” standard fee, which all lawyers strictly use. Further, the cost of drafting a simple will also depends upon your own familial and financial situation.
If your financial or familial situations are on the complicated side, you can expect to pay more for simple drafting services. However, if you come to an attorney with a more straightforward process, you can expect to pay less to have your will drafted.
The amount an attorney will charge for simple will drafting services can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars on the lower end of the scale to a few thousand dollars on the upper end of the scale.
Because all Anaheim lawyers will charge differently, you must be on the same page as your attorney from the get-go. Make sure to ask your attorney upfront about how they’d like you to pay for their services. In many cases, lawyers will simply charge you a flat fee to have a simple will drafted. Commonly, this flat fee will be somewhere around $1,000, although cheaper services can cost as little as $300, and higher-end services can even cost around $1,200.
Alternatively, other estate planning attorneys will charge their clients an hourly fee. Therefore, you will likely be paying $200 or more per hour in most instances.
Make sure you’re not settling for the cheapest attorney, simply as a way to save money. Instead, you must have your simple will drafted by someone who understands what they’re doing and can accommodate your unique needs.
HIRE AN EXPERIENCED ANAHEIM, CA, TRUSTS ATTORNEY
If you’re in the Anaheim, California area, and are in the process of having a trust drafted, then work alongside an attorney you can trust. Christopher P. Walker has been practicing bankruptcy and estate planning law for over two decades and has garnered a highly favorable reputation for himself in that time. Do you have questions for the Law Office of Christopher P. Walker? Or are you interested in setting up a consultation? Simply contact us through our website, or give our office a call at (714) 909-2065.
From Our Clients
After years of putting off doing a will... we now can rest assured our family estate is legal and ready when we need it.
I found Mr. Walker on the net and am confident to recommend him for legal matters. Office staff was very attentive.
Hurray we finally did it!!!
- Tess
I've been through difficult times so I hired Mr. Christopher Walker to help me, I am very impressed the way he does business. He explains everything in a very professional way he did excellent job for me. I don't know many attorneys out there that answer they're office phone but he does and he returns calls quickly.
- Carlos C.
I have been working with Chris for at least 5 years. He helped us with our Trust. He is transparent and listens. I would recommend him highly.
- Octavio N.
I am not a man known for being a word smith so I am going to put it simply. The hardest year of my life has finally ended on a very high and happy note. Mr. Walker and Laurie are the best partners anyone could ask. They work tirelessly and made the difficult confusing process easy to understand and the clouds have now cleared! Thanks for everything.
- Justin C.