Estate planning is essential for ensuring your loved ones are protected and provided for after you are gone. It is more than just preparing documents; it is a thoughtful process that provides peace of mind and minimizes the potential for family disputes. By planning for the future, you are taking an important step to outline how your assets will be distributed, who will manage your affairs, and what healthcare decisions you want to be honored should you no longer be able to communicate them yourself. With a well-thought-out estate plan, you can minimize the burden on your family, avoid probate complications, and ensure that your wishes are carried out exactly as you intend.
At Martin & Birdsong, we’re committed to helping families through every stage of this journey, from creating wills and trusts to establishing healthcare directives and powers of attorney. With our compassionate assistance, you can look to the future with confidence and optimism. Contact us today for a consultation with an estate planning attorney serving Columbia and Lake of the Ozarks, MO, and let us guide you through these important processes.
Estate planning isn’t only for the wealthy. Rather, it’s a valuable tool for anyone who wants to protect their family and ensure their wishes are honored. Regardless of the size of your estate, a well-crafted plan provides security and guidance, helping to ease the stress for loved ones during difficult times. With an estate plan, you can name who will inherit your assets, designate guardians for anyone dependent on you, and establish healthcare preferences if you cannot communicate them. Creating an estate plan means making decisions that reflect your values.
Last Will and Testament
A will is a foundational part of any estate plan, outlining who should receive your assets after you pass. Without a will, the state decides how your estate is distributed, through a standardized process that may not reflect your personal wishes or family dynamics. Creating a will with Martin & Birdsong puts you back in control, where you should be. We work closely with clients to draft tailored wills to acknowledge family needs, values, and personal desires, minimizing conflicts and avoiding confusion or drama.
Trusts
Trusts are an effective way to add flexibility and control over the distribution of your assets, with certain benefits not provided by a will. For example, you may designate an age at which minor beneficiaries shall receive their inheritance, or designate how the funds shall be used, while they remain a minor. By setting up a trust, you can minimize or avoid probate, maintain the privacy of your financial matters, and offer added layers of protection for your beneficiaries. At Martin & Birdsong, we guide families in establishing living trusts, testamentary trusts, and other specialized arrangements designed to best meet their goals.
Power of Attorney
Power of attorney (POA) is essential to any estate plan. This legal document allows you to designate someone you trust to handle your affairs if you’re unable to do so yourself, whether due to illness, injury, or another circumstance. A POA empowers a trusted individual to make decisions on your behalf and to take care of your financial obligations to protect your interests when you are no longer able to do so yourself.
Healthcare Directive / Living Will
A healthcare directive, or living will, allows you to state your wishes regarding medical treatment. This document lets you communicate what kind of care you want if you cannot speak for yourself. That way, your preferences and concerns are respected and your loved ones don’t have to guess what you would want to do in a given circumstance.
Guardianship for Minors
If you have children under the age of 18, establishing a guardianship in your estate plan is a responsible way to safeguard their futures. This designation assigns a guardian to care for your children if something happens to you and your spouse. Thoughtfully planning guardianship can give parents the confidence that their children will be cared for by someone they trust.
When a loved one passes away, their estate will likely need to go through probate, which is a court-supervised process to ensure assets are distributed correctly, either according to the will or, if no will exists, per state law. The probate process allows assets to be transferred and titled in the beneficiaries name. At Martin & Birdsong, we understand how overwhelming and complicated probate can feel, especially as it comes during an already emotionally difficult time. That’s why we aim to guide you through the process with care and compassion.
Additionally, certain assets like family businesses or real estate may require professional appraisals, and we work with experts to provide accurate evaluations and fair distribution. With our team’s guidance, probate complications are handled with the utmost care and attention, minimizing stress for you and your loved ones. Additionally, certain assets like family businesses or real estate may require professional appraisals, and we work with experts to provide accurate evaluations and fair distribution. With our team’s guidance, probate complications are handled with the utmost care and attention, minimizing stress for you and your loved ones.
Making decisions regarding estate planning and probate requires expertise and empathy, which is what we offer at Martin & Birdsong. Our client-focused service is why so many families in the Lake of the Ozarks area trust us with their estate planning and probate needs. Our estate planning lawyers believe that each family’s situation is one of a kind, so we take the time to understand your values, concerns, and family dynamics to create an estate plan specifically for you.
We’re known for our local connections, having served communities across Miller, Morgan, Moniteau, Camden, Laclede, Cole, Boone, and Callaway counties for years. This experience gives us a deep understanding of Missouri estate laws and helps us craft estate plans that are personalized, fully compliant, and up-to-date. Our estate planning attorneys also know that planning for the future or managing probate can feel stressful, so we provide compassionate support, clear answers, and guidance every step of the way.
At Martin & Birdsong, we’re committed to helping families like yours prepare for whatever the future holds. Don’t leave your family’s future to chance. Instead, contact us today and speak with an experienced estate planning attorney serving Columbia and the Lake of the Ozarks region.
