San Diego Estate Planning Blog: Creating Legacies

From the desk of Del Mar, San Diego Trust Attorney, Kristina Hess Haymes

From the desk of San Diego Probate Attorney, Kristina R. Hess Haymes…

The unthinkable happens…. someone you love is gone well before what you thought was “their time.”  It happened to me.  My dad was 66 when he died suddenly on a fishing trip in Alaska. Sure, he was a “senior citizen” at that point, but I thought I had more time with him.  I wasn’t ready to say good bye.  Fortunately, my dad had established a living trust with a local San Diego trust attorney years earlier, so we did not have to go through San Diego Probate Court, or Vista Probate Court.

Unfortunately, the unthinkable happens to people I know everyday.

So, what do you do when your mother or father, or another loved one dies suddenly?

Maybe your San Diego parent had been “meaning” to get around to putting an estate plan in place.  Maybe they had tried to “do it themselves” but never got around to finalizing the details.   I am sure they had the best of intentions, but maybe now you are sitting here reading this post, trying hard not to panic, asking yourself, “What NOW??”

Step 1, Contact a San Diego Probate Attorney like Kristina Hess Haymes

Contact a San Diego Probate Attorney.  Here, at Haymes Law Group, we can help you navigate this difficult and painful time.  Don’t panic, help is a phone call away.  Kristina will skillfully and compassionately help you through this time.

Step 2, Prepare an Inventory of Assets

The first thing you have to do is gather an inventory of assets.  Did your mom or dad own a home?  Did they have retirement accounts, bank accounts, stock, bonds, brokerage accounts?  Did they own rental properties, or businesses?

From the desk of Kristina Hess Haymes, San Diego Trust Attorney

I love January.  I write this every January it seems.  But, I particularly love January this year because after last year, a clean slate, fresh start, and new beginning is more refreshing than ever!!

So, as a San Diego will and trust attorney I am writing to you about getting your legal house in order.

Has getting a will, child guardianship plan, and/or living trust been on your list of things to do for awhile now?

Is getting your legal affairs in order on your list of new year’s resolution?

Or maybe, you just had a new baby, and you are overwhelmed by this and cannot even entertain the thought about someone else raising your precious baby.

Maybe you have been meaning, wanting, thinking about getting your legal affairs in order but you just haven’t gotten around to doing anything… yet.

Well, no time like the present.

Make good on your resolution to make sure you will, trust, and other legal planning documents are in order.

Maybe you need a kids protection plan, so that your precious child were never to end up in the arms of strangers and those you love would be able to easily take him/her if an emergency arose and the authorities wouldn’t get involved.

Maybe your San Diego living trust is out of date, your assets have changed, your life has changed, or the law has changed and you need to make it up to date.

Whatever, the case, here’s your gentle nudge to make good on your resolution.

Ask me for your free new year’s gift if you come see Kristina Hess Haymes during January!

Estate Planning for life!

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Kristina Hess Haymes