Over 14 Years of Experience Protecting Families
About Us
ESTATE PLANNING
Estate Planning is one of the most important responsibilities you will have to your family and loved ones. Although Estate Planning may seem like it is only designed for the wealthy, it is a plan that is useful for everyone who is concerned with protecting the future of their family and loved ones. An estate plan generally gives directives for how an individual's assets will be disbursed, transferred or passed on after they die or in the event they were to become incapacitated. Every plan is different and custom tailored to fit the needs of our clients and their family and/or loved ones. The size of the asset or assets are of no consequence. The concept of Estate Planning is designed to ensure that your assets; whatever they may be, will transfer to your family and loved ones in the manner that you intend. We are dedicated to helping people from all walks of life with establishing their estate plan to protect their future and the future of their families.
A Focus on Results
At Myles & Associates, APLC, our goal and focus is helping families. Our estate planning attorney can help with your Wills, Trusts, Donations, Living Wills, Powers of Attorney, Tutorships and Successions. However, that is not all that we do. We also take the time to educate our clients on options that would assist them with protecting their assets for the future. We help our clients to design an estate plan that would protect them in the event of disability and protect their families with the assistance of final expenses and maintenance of assets; such as a mortgage and educational expenses for their children. In the event that our clients simply want to provide a leg up for the next generation, we can assist with that as well. With estate planning, the first step is for us to work with you and come up with a plan to get the results you need. Through our understanding of estate planning law and your understanding of the circumstances, we will craft a path to success.
Get Started Today
Don't wait! No one knows when their estate plan will be needed. It is important that you are diligent about making sure that your affairs are in order and protection is in place to be utilized when it is necessary. Estate planning to ensure that you and your family are protected is easy with the help of our estate planning attorney.
OUR SERVICES
WILLS
Wills, also known as a Last Will & Testament, are a common way for individuals to provide directives to their loved ones when they die. They are essential at a minimum to estate planning because they ensure that your assets are distributed to your loved ones as you so desire. They also protect the rights of your loved ones to the property that you are transferring to them. Wills must be probated and your loved ones will have to get your Will probated or approved by the Court to obtain an order from the Court called a Judgment of Possession that will transfer your assets to them as directed in your Will. Wills must be drafted in the proper form as required by law so it is important that you have an experienced estate planning attorney to assist with the drafting of your will to ensure that it is valid, pursuant to estate planning law; and will be accepted by the Courts. We can help you with the drafting of your will and we are also able to help your family through the process of a Succession to ensure the proper transfer of your assets to them.
LIVING WILLS
A Living Will is prepared in anticipation of a medical emergency. In the event that you are ever terminally ill or are in a incapacitated condition, you can give directives to your treating medical providers regarding your health and decisions that you are not able to communicate to your physicians due to your medical condition. This document will ensure that your physicians act as you desire. We can help you to be sure that your physician is aware of your desires as it relates to your health care.
POWER OF ATTORNEY
There may come a time in your life when you will need a loved one to act on your behalf or you simply desire them to act on your behalf under particular circumstances. We can help you to draft a Power of Attorney that will designate the person of your choosing to act as your agent. This document can either give a person the permission to act and make decisions on your behalf under any and all circumstances or for a limited purpose. We can help you ensure that someone that you trust can be there to act as your back up when you may not be able to do so yourself.
TRUSTS
Trusts are becoming a more common estate planning vehicle because they allow your heirs to avoid probate or the filing of a Succession to transfer your assets to them. This is preferred for many because the requirement of going to Court to resolve your estate matters can be costly and people prefer the idea of helping their loved ones to avoid the additional cost associated with obtaining a Judgment of Possession from the Court. We can help you to establish a Revocable Living Trust or a Testamentary Trust. A Revocable Living Trust will allow you to re-title assets out of your name while maintaining full control of those assets during your lifetime. All trusts will allow your sensitive information regarding your finances and personal affairs to remain private as they are not required to be made a part of the public record. We can discuss your options with you and help you to decide which type of trusts will be best for you to accomplish your estate planning goals.
TUTORSHIPS
Tutorships are required to establish the estate of a minor. This may become necessary if a minor were to receive a settlement valued at over $10,000. Tutorships are also useful to establish authority to act on behalf of a minor in certain circumstances such as when the parents of a minor are deceased. The tutor of a minor can be a parent, other relative or court-appointed caregiver. We can help you with the process of obtaining your Letters of Tutorship from the Court so that you are able to act on behalf of the minor in your care.
DONATIONS
Donations can be made to another during your lifetime for any lawful reason or in exchange for services rendered for example. Donations can be made whereby the Donor subjects the Donee to any lawful conditions or stipulates that the subject of the donation be returned to them in the event that the Donor survives the Donee. Donations are sometimes used in estate planning as an avenue for the Donor to ensure that the Donee can avoid probate or the filing of a Succession by transferring property to the Donee during the Donor's lifetime. Whatever the terms of your donation, we can help you draft a lawful donation of your property, as you choose.
PROBATE/SUCCESSIONS
A Probate/Succession is the procedure in Louisiana by which heirs are able to transfer the property of their loved one to their heirs by Court order. This procedure is necessary if their loved one died with or without a will, except in cases where their loved one has already previously transferred their property to their heirs via either a Donation or a Trust and a Probate/Succession is otherwise unnecessary. Losing a loved one can be hard and the last thing that you want to add to your plate is figuring out how to resolve the estate of your loved one. We are here to help and can handle the process of resolving your loved ones estate through the Courts for you.
ESTATE PLANNING
We are equipped to discuss other estate planning options with you to assist you with having an estate plan to provide additional security to your family and loved ones when you die or in the event that you become disabled and unable to assist your family financially. These options can assist your family with final expenses, other expenses that your family and loved ones will have to maintain such as a mortgage and educational expenses for your children or to provide financial security and protect the future of your family in your absence. We can help you to protect yourself and your family.