A number of endeavors in a person’s life may call for legal assistance and guidance, and lawyers such as will lawyers are available to lend their expertise. A real estate lawyer, for example, can help smooth out the process of buying or selling a house on the real estate market, and a will lawyer can help a client with elder law. An elder law attorney may act as a will lawyer, and these legal services can set up solid, binding paperwork that can enforce the client’s intentions. When will lawyers are hired, an elderly client can be sure that their intentions with their estate will be enforced, and that no one will take advantage of their fortune after they pass on. When is it time to hire will lawyers or a real estate attorney?
Real Estate and Law
Those looking to buy or sell a home for the first time may not realize it, but lawyers can do a lot of good and make this complicated process faster and easier. A property is a large and complex item to buy or sell, and there may be some disputes between the buyer and seller of a house. Either party, or both, may look to real estate lawyers if need be.
A first-time home buyer, for example, may be overwhelmed by the sheer paperwork needed for this. Over 80 people may be consulted or involved in the process of purchasing a house from start to finish, and this can get out of hand unless some professional help is brought on board. Home buyers of the Millennial generation, those born from 1982 to 1995, are now old enough to afford major life purchases such as cars and houses, but unlike their Boomer parents, they may need some guidance. Buying a house may be made faster, smoother, and more money-smart when a lawyer is there to oversee the process. A lawyer like this may also help the home buyer negotiate a lower price on the home, though this may vary.
The home seller may also use a lawyer to ensure that they get a fair price for the property that they are selling, and first-time sellers may want some legal assistance for this. What is more, the new owner may, some time later, accuse the seller of trying to claim the house for insurance or tax reasons. No matter the case, the previous owner may find a real estate lawyer to represent them in a conflict. But what about personal estates and wills?
Americans and Wills
Everyone knows what a will is: a document outlining what is to be done with the deceased’s assets. However, not all Americans have a properly written will, and this can be a problem. Many adult Americans have no will because they procrastinate, or because they believe that their estate is too small to bother with. It has been found that 51% of Americans aged 55 to 64, those at a sensible time to write a will, don’t actually have one. However, any interested adult may hire a personal estate lawyer to get a legally binding will written and outlined.
A proper will can ensure that the deceased’s money and assets, major and minor, end up in the correct hands, most often family members. Estates may vary in their contents among various bank accounts, a car, a house, a vacation home, recreational vehicles, and even jewelry or a privately owned business. The problem is that without such a will, this sum of assets may get abused. Creditors, for example, may seize most or all of the money or assets, especially if the deceased owned a business that had some outstanding debts. Or, family members may be the problem, taking too much for themselves and dividing the estate unfairly.
By contrast, hiring an estate lawyer allows the client to write a legally binding will to control the distribution of assets. In this way, trustees under the age of 18 can have money safely set aside for them, and a will can outline all of this. Wills can protect the assets and family from unfair or greedy practices, and the owner of the will can rest easy knowing that everything will be handled correctly after they have passed.