Legal Aid Society of Orange County

Community Legal Services of Southeast Los Angeles County (CLS) provide legal advice, counseling and representation.

Tips in Making a Family Tree in Your Estate Plan

Creating a Family Tree is a helpful method to guarantee your estate plan encompasses all your wishes for distribution of your property. A comprehensive estate plan includes a Last Will and Testament, Living Trust, Living Will and insurance policies. Depending on your personal circumstances, you may or may not need all of these documents.

Top things to know in planning your estate…

1. No matter your net worth, it's important to have a basic estate plan in place. Such a plan ensures that your family and financial goals are met after you die. 2. An estate plan has several elements. They include: a will; assignment of power of attorney; and a living will or health-care proxy (medical power of attorney). For some people, a trust may also make sense. When putting together a plan, you must be mindful of both federal and state laws governing estates.