Baton Rouge Estate Planning Lawyer

Baton Rouge Estate Planning Attorney

Estate planning is often a complex issue, but that’s especially true in Baton Rouge and the rest of Louisiana. Whereas most of the United States has laws that grew out of the British Common Law system, Louisiana’s legal system has roots in French and Spanish law.

Therefore, while there are many similarities with how legal issues are handled in other states, there are some crucial differences as well. This makes working with the right Baton Rouge estate planning lawyer crucial.

At the Rowe & Manning Law Firm LLC, we understand the unique challenges posed by estate planning in Louisiana. We make sure that we understand our clients’ estate planning goals and strive to meet their objectives with the appropriate tools, documents, and strategies. We’re comfortable with even the most complex estates.

Estate Planning

Many people think that estate planning is something that only the elderly need to think about. But if you have family members who depend on you, it’s never too early to make important decisions about your estate.

The Rowe & Manning Law Firm LLC can provide you with creative, efficient and compassionate advice about how to plan for the passing of an estate or property to friends, family, businesses, or organizations and charities.

We have fought hard to earn the trust and loyalty of clients in Baton Rouge and throughout Louisiana. We welcome the opportunity to do the same for you or your loved ones. Our estate planning services are designed to offer you the peace of mind you deserve, no matter your age or the state of your health.

Custom-Tailored Estate Plans To Suit Your Needs

We draft wills and probate documents with the goal of meeting and exceeding the needs and goals of our clients. We can help you make sure that even complex assets and large estates are handled properly. We will tell you about your options and guide you to the most efficient succession and probate.

An experienced attorney can tell you about alternatives to succession that can save time and trouble. A trust, irrevocable trust, revocable trust or charitable trust might be more appropriate for your needs and goals. Successor trustees may be needed or clarified to better match the intentions of a trust or estate. Our clients want to make sure that wealth distribution and liability protection are proper to reduce burdens on the people they want to give to.

Sometimes, the assets of an estate can be managed in such a way as to protect the interests and comfort of the living and reduce costs, including taxes. A special needs trust may be appropriate to care for the well-being of an aging individual or someone with special care requirements.

What a Baton Rouge Estate Planning Lawyer Does

A Baton Rouge estate planning lawyer performs a number of different functions for their clients. The primary role we play is in helping you design your estate plan. Often, clients have some idea of what they want from an estate plan but aren’t sure what is attainable or how to meet their objectives. We help make that happen.

Every estate is unique, which is why it’s important to have a plan custom-designed to meet your needs. That process starts with a thorough understanding of your estate plan objectives. We understand how to ask the questions that can identify your estate’s needs, as well as how to answer any questions you may have about what’s right for you.

Once we have a firm understanding of your objectives, we can put together a plan for meeting those goals. This could involve a variety of different legal tools, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and other documents. Each document will serve to meet a specific objective or objectives of yours, and they come together as a full plan for your estate.

Once your estate plan is designed, the documents will all need to be prepared. Because of Louisiana’s unique legal background, these documents will need to be carefully crafted to fit the legal requirements and traditions within state law. It’s important to work with an experienced lawyer or team in this field, given the complexity of estate planning in Baton Rouge.

Keeping Your Estate Plan Updated Throughout Your Life

Once your estate plan is in place, it may not necessarily be set in stone. Life changes, and you may have different desires and objectives for your estate plan in the future. As your desires change, it may be necessary to update your plan to fit those goals. We help you make those changes and tweaks to your plan as needed. It’s important that this be done properly, as changes to an estate plan may be given extra scrutiny, and it’s vital that they stand up to possible challenges.

FAQs:

Q: When Should I Start an Estate Plan?

A: The age at which you should start an estate plan is probably earlier than you think. If you’re asking the question, it’s likely the right time to start. Estate plans are not only for those who are older or those with significant wealth. Anyone who wants to be sure that they have influence over how their estate is handled should begin putting together an estate plan. This is especially true for those who have minor children, as estate planning can ensure that your wishes for them will be addressed.

Q: How Can I Avoid My Family Having Conflict When I’m Gone?

A: Preventing your family from having conflict when you’re gone is a complicated issue. In some sense, it’s impossible to eliminate every source of possible conflict. However, good estate planning can often have a substantial impact on reducing the possible sources of conflict.

Working with a Baton Rouge estate planning attorney can be helpful in putting together a thorough, clear estate plan that will minimize the possible sources of challenges to your will. Trusts can allow you to avoid probate, which could also prevent disputes.

Q: Does Every Estate Need to Go Through Succession?

A: Not every estate needs to go through a full succession, as fairly small estates may be able to pass through alternative measures. However, for most estates, succession is inevitable. If you are unsure of whether or not your estate will need to go through succession, an experienced Baton Rouge estate planning lawyer will be able to help clarify that for you.

Q: Do I Have to Have a Baton Rouge Estate Planning Lawyer?

A: You do not legally have to have a Baton Rouge estate planning lawyer when planning your estate, but not working with a lawyer carries significant risks. Estate planning is already a complex process, and Louisiana’s laws are especially complicated because of the influence of the French and Spanish civil law traditions.

Unless an estate plan is thorough and aligns with these laws, it may not hold up to challenges. To feel confident that your estate plan will function as you want it to, it’s imperative that you work with an experienced Baton Rouge estate planning lawyer.

Talk To Us About Your Estate Needs

Estate planning is critically important for anyone who wants to be sure that their estate or minor children are handled according to their wishes once they’re gone. However, it’s also a particularly complicated process.

The complexity of estate law and succession can often lend itself to conflict between the heirs and beneficiaries of the deceased. That’s why the most effective way to avoid this conflict, and often one of the last gifts someone can give to their families, is a well-crafted estate plan.

At the Rowe & Manning Law Firm LLC, we help clients put together estate plans that give them comfort and peace of mind in knowing that their estate will be handled according to their wishes. Moreover, an estate plan created with our help is more likely to reduce potential family tensions. With emotions raw after the passing of a loved one, we understand how critical it is to have the right kind of plan in place for your family.

By practicing on the cutting edge of estate law, we give our clients creative solutions while minimizing their exposure to estate taxes and litigation. Call our Baton Rouge office at 225-293-8787 or contact us online to speak to a lawyer about your specific estate planning goals.