Ronald Cook “wrote the book” on how to draft a will. The book is called “A straight forward guide to drafting your will today” and is available on Amazon.com
CLICK HERE to view the book on Amazon.com
A Will is a necessary document for your estate plan. It is the primary document for transferring many kinds of assets upon your death.
- You should decide who inherits which assets and when they should receive them.
- You should decide who will manage your estate as an executor or as a trustee.
- You should select a guardian for your minor children.
- You should provide for the orderly continuance (or sale) of a family business.
Many people put off drafting a will, however, this mistake is likely to fail to preserve for your heirs what it took a lifetime to achieve. The phrase “you can’t take it with you” comes to mind. Since you cannot “take it with you” your assets will go somewhere. You want to control who gets what with your will.
Property that passes automatically (like life insurance) is called non-probate property. It does not have to pass through a court process to get to the beneficiaries. However, probate property (like real property under your name) must go through probate court. The probate court will allow distribution to your heirs according to the terms of your Will, after the Will goes through a special proceeding. A properly executed Will allows you to choose those individuals or organizations who will receive your property at your death.
Unless special circumstances arise, i.e., the Will is contested, the court will enforce your wishes as to the distribution of your property. If you die without a Will, the property that you own in your own name will be distributed according to your state’s law of descent and distributions. This is referred to as intestate distribution. The state’s Will is an inflexible pattern of distribution that may not provide for the distribution you prefer. You need a will as part of your estate plan.
We can prepare a simple or complex will for individuals of any marital status. We can draft wills which address items such as the marital deduction, credit shelters, trusts, phasing out of the estate tax. We can also assist with less frequently used provisions such as the granting or exercise of powers of appointment, purchases of annuities, charitable trusts supplement needs trusts, and pour-overs to inter vivos trusts.
A residuary estate may be divided into equal or unequal shares, with each share being given to the beneficiaries outright or in a variety of trusts. Trusts may be terminated or partially distributed at specific ages or may last for the lives of beneficiaries.
Alternate and successor beneficiaries may be specified.
The law firm can draft living wills, health care documents, powers of attorney, family tree affidavits, asset summaries, execution checklists, etc.
Our law firm has thousands of testimonials. Below are just a few:
“Mr. Ronald S. Cook is the best lawyer that I have worked with. He is absolutely fantastic. The quality of the service is second to none. He is just at a different level. I am extremely satisfied from his services. Mr. Cook under-promises and over-delivers. I strongly recommend his advice and services.”
“Attorney Cook helped me update my Estate Plan when I relocated back to Long Island from Los Angeles. His assistance was critical since the laws in New York State are significantly different than those in California. He took the amount of time necessary for me to understand most of the intricacies of NY estate planning law, and as a retired engineer, I look to understand pretty much everything there is to know before I put my signature on paper. My customized plan was done well and in a very timely manner. I plan to use his services for any and all future needs where he is experienced. I would recommend anyone to speak to him about your estate planning needs.”
“Ronald Cook helped us with our Estate Planning needs. We had spoken to a few attorneys concerning our Estate needs over the years, but Mr. Cook will be the last. My wife and I were impressed by his willingness to take the time to explain in layman terms all our options. He customized our legal documents to reflect our specific needs and desires. His is not a cookie cutter approach and we highly recommend him.”
Ronald Cook “wrote the book” on how to draft a will.
The book is called “A straight forward guide to drafting your will today” and is available on Amazon.com
CLICK HERE to view the book on Amazon.com
CLICK HERE to view other books authored by Attorney Cook
CLICK HERE to view Attorney Cook’s LinkedIn profile
CLICK HERE to view Attorney Cook’s lecture videos
CLICK HERE for further information about Estate Planning concerns.
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