Cortes Law Firm Emphasizes Importance Of Estate Planning

Oklahoma City, OK based Cortes Law Firm is reaching out to share details about estate planning and encourage the community to explore incapacity planning in particular. Specifically, the firm wishes to emphasize how important it is for an individual to have all their wishes laid out in writing.

According to the firm, estate planning involves more than the written and signed piece of paper indicating what is to be done with an estate after the present owner’s passing. It is a way of ensuring their legacy and making it absolutely certain what is to be done in the event of incapacitation or some other unforeseen situation that might require another party to take over certain sensitive matters.

“By planning ahead, we can ease the burden on our loved ones during difficult times,” says Cortes. “It's a way to protect them from unnecessary stress, conflicts and confusion. If there's no plan in place, they are going to start fighting with each other. In a lot of cases, we have had situations where step children have taken the husband of 20 or 30 years to court. This is usually because they don't like the healthcare decisions the husband is making, such as how he's caring for his wife.”

They elaborate, “Maybe that was a decision that they made together — that maybe his wife wanted to go into a nursing facility assisted living facility. Perhaps she wanted to be protected and cared for in her home. Those are all decisions that can create conflict within a family if they are not clearly recorded. In many cases, such situations will end up in court, costing thousands of dollars.”

Failure to leave plans for what to do in the event of incapacitation will likely lead to a great deal of inconvenience for both the incapacitated individual and their loved ones. Without a written and signed document stating who is to take care of the incapacitated individual’s affairs and how their estate is to be managed, a judge will be needed to grant guardianship. This means the family and friends of the incapacitated are required to go to court and request that a judge grant them guardianship. Having a plan in place removes the need for a judge’s intervention almost totally, and it also prevents infighting among family and friends who may have other ideas about what is to be done with the incapacitated person.

In addition to laying out the incapacitated person’s wishes, an estate plan also determines what happens to their assets. Most who accumulate a large number of valuable assets over their lifetime will then distribute said assets among their offspring after they pass. Unfortunately, relatives and other individuals with an interest in such assets have been known to get involved with the distribution process after a loved one’s passing. Estate planning makes this a non-issue as it ensures that any wealth is split among their children (or other parties) according to their wishes.

Cortes Law Firm helps Oklahomans plan their estates according to their unique needs. Everyone has different requirements when it comes to planning how their estate is to be handled, and with the help of Cortes Law Firm, their desires can be put into legally binding writing. The firm makes it a point to listen to clients carefully and address all their concerns, eventually developing an estate plan that ensures their assets and health are handled in accordance with their wishes.

“My wife and I have known Steve for years, so when we needed help with estate planning, he was the first person we called,” says a review of the law firm. “Steve was incredibly helpful. He has a system he follows which makes it easy to construct a thorough, well thought out estate plan. He and his staff are friendly, thoughtful, and courteous as well as efficient with our time. The price of his service is presented up front, so there are no surprises when the job is complete. We were very pleased with what Steve did for us, and we would highly recommend him for any of your estate planning needs.”

The firm has helped countless clients prepare for every eventuality and Oklahoma residents can be certain they are getting some of the best legal advice when they partner with Cortes Law Firm. To learn more about the importance of estate planning, interested parties may connect with Cortes Law Firm through their website and social media.