ASSERTING YOUR WISHES IS A MUST
If you are going through life without an estate plan you are not alone. Less than half of people who have not yet achieved senior citizen status have any type of estate plan in place. However, when you go through life without executing these important documents you may be putting those that you love at risk.
This is a broad subject, but we would like to highlight the need for committed couples who are not married to engage in some intelligent estate planning efforts. There are any number of reasons why you may be in such a relationship, including eligibility for certain pension benefits and possible Social Security benefits.
People who pass away without a will or any other type of legal documents directing the transfer of assets are said to have died intestate. Under such circumstances intestacy rules of succession are utilized to determine who inherits property that was owned by the deceased. These succession rules are not going to recognize an unmarried partner.
The bottom line is that if you want to be certain that your wishes are carried out in the event of your death or incapacitation you must spell out your choices plainly within legally binding documents.
It is understandable that you may not know exactly where to begin, but the solution is actually just a phone call away. If you are interested in taking action to assert your wishes, right now would be a good time to arrange for a consultation with a licensed, experienced Redlands CA estate planning lawyer.