Your Life. Your Rights.
Avoid unnecessary expense, delay and stress by leaving clear instructions about what should happen if you cannot communicate or care for yourself, and what should happen to your belongings after death.
Everyone has an estate. It consists of YOU, your belongings and financial obligations. Powers of attorney permit a person you designate to make business and healthcare decisions for your while you are living, but are incapable of such. A will designates a personal representative to gather your wealth, pay your bills, and distribute what is left to your surviving spouse and/or heirs. Trusts can provide for an adult with special needs or children. Unfortunately, most people fail to make and estate plan (intestacy), so their lack of a plan results in unanswered questions and serious problems for their Family to sort out. Basic estate planning documents usually consist of a will, a durable power of attorney, and a physicians directive (a/k/a living will) and a POLST form (Physician's Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment). For married couples, a community property agreement is usually recommended. Mr. Gobel’s counsel and drafting can empower clients to take charge of their affairs while they are still able, and leave their affairs in the best order. That way, end of life will not disrupt plans or become a hardship on loved ones. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The legal cost of estate plan creation is far less than submitting an intestate probate case to the court.
Powers of Attorney If a person is incapacitated or incompetent, a living will allows their trust party to make important healthcare decisions and carry on personal business without need for an expensive and intrusive guardianship. Gobel Law Office, PLLC has years of experience helping clients establish powers of attorney that best reflect their goals and values.
Wills Adults have a right to leave written instructions for how their property and debts must be treated after their life has ended. Such an act is one of the most empowering things a human can do - setting plans that will survive them. This is most helpful for surviving loved ones and is much more economical than probate without a will. Inclusions of a simple “non-intervention” clause can reduce expensive Court oversight. Gobel Law Office, PLLC has years of experience helping clients create estate plans that best settles personal affairs and make proper inheritances.
Living Wills (Physicians Directives) Our legislature has found that adults have the fundamental right to control their healthcare and end of life decisions. Technology can artificially prolong life beyond natural limits. Everyone has the right to tell their healthcare providers when they want life sustaining intervention, pain medication, nutrition/hydration and when they don’t. A living will and/or Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) can best communicate this vital information even when the patient is unconscious. Gobel Law Office, PLLC has years of experience helping clients formulate healthcare treatment instructions which best reflect their goals and values.
Informal Estate Settlement Estates with a value of not more than $100,000.00 may be candidates for resolution without need for probate. Gobel Law Office, PLLC has years of experience resolving qualifying estates informally and economically.
Probate Upon one’s death, their estate must be resolved. The probate process involves asking the Court to admit the matter, appoint a representative, process creditor’s claims, inventory property, address challenges and distribute property. Gobel Law Office, PLLC has years of experience helping families efficiently navigate the often complex probate process.