Kent A. Jeffirs, Attorney at Law, PC Launches Crown Point Estate Planning Site

CROWN POINT, Ind. - Dec. 13, 2013 - PRLog -- Because Indiana is not one of the sixteen states that follow the Uniform Probate Code, it can be difficult to find state-specific information. In order to assist residents of Lake County find the necessary information, Kent A. Jeffirs, Attorney at Law, PC enlisted Probate.com, partnered with Scorpion Design, to create a website that explains estate planning and probate.

The website contains information about basic estate planning documents, including wills and trusts. In addition to selecting beneficiaries and distributing property, wills can name guardians to care for minor children and executors to administer the estate. Living trusts can save families time and money by helping estates avoid probate.

Advance directives vary by state, but the new estate planning website provides information about how to plan for disability in Indiana. Certain advance directives, including living wills and Life-Prolonging Procedures Declarations, can specify the type and extent of care an individual would like to receive. Other advance directives, including powers of attorney, can select an individual called a “health care representative” to make important health care decisions should the creator become incapacitated.

Guardianships are an important aspect of planning for the future, and the website provides information on the two types of guardianships in Indiana. A guardian of the person can make choices regarding another individual’s home, clothes and other daily maintenance decisions. A guardian of the estate can manage the ward’s financial matters. Although only actual people can serve as guardians of the person, a Crown Point estate planning attorney or a bank can serve as a guardian of the estate.

The website contains information about the probate process in Lake County. Probate requires a personal representative to collect property, pay outstanding debts and taxes and distribute assets to heirs and beneficiaries. If a decedent does not leave a valid will, the estate is distributed according to state intestate law. Indiana intestate law primarily benefits the spouse and the children. If you leave no close relatives, the state of Indiana will inherit the property through escheat. In addition to information about the process, the site provides estimates on the cost and length of probate.

If you are interested in learning more about estate planning and probate administration in Crown Point, visit Kent A. Jeffirs, Attorney at Law, PC’s new website at http://jeffirslawoffice.com (http://jeffirslawofficecom.scorpionprobate.com/).