The laws governing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals have undergone dramatic changes in the last several years, but that doesn’t mean that LGBTQ individuals still enjoy the same protections that everyone else in society takes for granted. Take estate planning, for example. Many in the LGBTQ community still confront unique challenges that the rest of society never encounters.
Many of those challenges are related to the many decades of restrictions that LGBTQ persons encountered in every area of life. Unfortunately, the LGBTQ community has traditionally had few advocates to help these individuals with their vital legal needs. That has been changing in recent years, as laws have evolved to comport with changing stances on equality for everyone.
The Litherland, Kennedy & Associates, APC, Attorneys at Law has long been proud to serve the estate planning needs of individuals in every community, including members of the LGBTQ community. Our California LGBTQ estate planning attorneys can help clients to protect themselves and their partners in every important area of the law, securing their personal interests, protecting assets, and providing legacy plans that can secure inheritances and take care of other vital concerns.
Despite the Supreme Court ruling that enshrined marriage equality as law across the United States, we know that there are still many complex issues that need to be resolved in any LGBTQ family’s estate plan. We’re committed to helping these clients get the solutions they need, to protect their loved ones and provide for their needs. Contact us today to get a free consultation at (408) 356-9200 in Campbell. We’ll help with your planning needs and answer critical questions that include:
- What is LGBTQ estate planning?
- Why is LGBTQ estate planning important?
- How can a California LGBTQ estate planning attorney help me?
What Is LGBTQ Estate Planning?
LGBTQ estate planning needs can vary, depending upon a variety of individual factors. For example, planning for married couples can differ significantly from that used for individuals. Your planning can also be impacted by whether you have children. Specific issues that need to be addressed can include:
- Choosing a guardian for any minor children that you need to care for in the event of your death.
- Burial plans, including funeral instructions. This is often a concern for transgendered persons, especially when there has been no legal name change.
- Estate tax planning to ensure that your heirs receive as much of your estate as possible.
- A plan to distribute inheritances, to ensure that your assets get transferred to heirs of your choosing.
- Incapacity planning to ensure that your chosen agent can make decisions for you in the event that you lose the capacity to manage your own affairs.
Naturally, there are many other concerns that should be addressed in any estate planning efforts. Your California LGBTQ estate planning attorney can provide you with more comprehensive information about how your needs should be addressed, and which strategies and tools will work best for your unique circumstances.
Why Is LGBTQ Estate Planning Important?
There was a time not so long ago when LGBTQ couples had to fight battles just to be allowed to do ordinary, simple things like inherit property, visit each other during hospitalizations, and participate in medical decision-making. Marriage might have resolved many of those concerns, but other issues continue to present challenges.
The fact is that marriage has still not corrected all the many obstacles that the LGBTQ community can face where matters of inheritance, incapacity planning, child care, and other important issues are concerned. Comprehensive LGBTQ estate planning remains the best way to ensure that you and your loved ones have the protections you need.
Fortunately, a California LGBTQ estate planning attorney can help to resolve important issues involving childcare decisions and provisions, property transfers, and asset protection. To get the help you need to meet your estate planning objectives, contact us today.
How Can a California LGBTQ Estate Planning Attorney Help Me?
The Litherland, Kennedy & Associates, APC, Attorneys at Law is committed to ensuring that LGBTQ families in the area receive the focus and attention they need to ensure that their estate planning needs and right are properly addressed. Whether it’s an incapacity plan, provisions for a dependent child, trusts to deal with estate tax concerns and other asset protection needs, or a Last Will and Testament to express their last wishes, our LGBTQ estate planning attorneys can help you to achieve your planning goals. To schedule your free consultation, contact us here or call (408) 356-9200 in Campbell.
