Wills and Trusts

Wills and Trusts are very important for persons seeking to determine how they would like to protect and support their family after their death. We work with people to ensure that their Will and/or Trust is created and tailored according to their specific needs and wishes. Everyone’s circumstances are different so there is no “one size fits all” situation. You should not want to leave something as important as your legacy to chance. You can trust Ricquelle Lassonnier Law to help you organize what you have spent your entire life building – your legacy. We handle your affairs with professionalism, confidentially and efficacy. Let us work for you. Tell us what you need and want and let us ensure that you get exactly what you want to protect your interests in the future.

Here, at Ricquelle Lassonnier Law, we want to shift the narrative, behind planning for the future. We want you to understand the advantage that you give yourself and your family by thinking ahead. We understand that death is not a subject many want to think about but, unfortunately, it is a part of life and your legacy and everything you’ve worked for deserves to be protected. Your last Will and Testament is the beginning of a comprehensive estate plan. In Alabama, if a person dies without a will, they are said to have died “intestate” and Alabama laws will determine how and to whom the person’s assets will be distributed. Take control over your assets and decide how you want them to be handled.

Call us today at (256) 425-2665, let us discuss your options and start planning your legacy’s future.

Some things you should know about  Wills :

• A Will has no legal authority until after death.  It cannot be used as a power of attorney. In other words, a Will does not help manage a person’s affairs when they are incapacitated, whether by illness or injury.
• A Will does not help an estate avoid probate. It is the legal document submitted to the probate court, so it is basically your way into probate.
• A Will is a good place to choose the guardians of your minor children in the event that they are orphaned.  All parents of minor children should document their choice of guardians.  We do not recommend that you leave this to chance. Always seek the best interest of your children and ensure that they do not end up with the wrong guardians.

There is a plethora of types of Trusts, they can be simple or complex, and they serve a variety of legal, purposes. Contact Ricquelle Lassonnier Law today, so that we can discuss your needs and set up a personalized plan, to achieve your goal. We want to help you find out if you and your family could benefit from establishing a Trust.

A power of attorney (POA) is a legal document giving another person the legal right (powers) to do certain things for you.  The person who receives the authority is the agent or attorney in fact. The subject of the POA is the principal. There are two main types of POAs, financial and health care, both of which provide the attorney-in-fact with general or limited powers. The POA is often used when the principal cannot be present to sign necessary legal documents for a financial transaction. The documents will set out what powers are transferred to the agent (person acting on your behalf).

Note that, all powers of attorney terminate upon the death of the maker and may terminate when the maker (principal) becomes incapacitated (unable to make or communicate decisions). Durable Powers of Attorney should be frequently updated because banks and other financial institutions may hesitate to honor a power of attorney that is more than a year old. Anyone over the age of 14 is considered medically released and can exercise a Health Care Power of Attorney. The permanent POA remains in effect if the principle is sick or disabled and unable to act personally.

An advance directive is a document that specifies the type of medical and personal care you want, if you were to lose the ability to make and communicate your own decisions. Your advance directive may specify who will make and inform decisions on your behalf. It may outline circumstances in which you would not want to prolong your life if, for example, you were in a coma with no reasonable chance of recovery. A document that accompanies your advance directive is an authorization granted to your health care providers to allow designated persons to access your medical information. Without this authorization, your doctor may refuse to contact a decision maker of your choice.