Thanks for taking the time to find out about our connection to El Dorado Hills. Here at the Northern California Center for Estate Planning and Elder Law, we take our commitment to our neighbors in El Dorado Hills to heart. El Dorado Hills is located in El Dorado County, 22 miles east of Sacramento.
Serving Our Neighbors in El Dorado Hills
With a population of more than 42,000, El Dorado Hills is considered part of the Sacramento Metropolitan Area as it is socially and economically integrated with Sacramento County and the City of Folsom. One of the national recognitions the community has received is having a high median household income of more than $115,000. El Dorado Hills was also recently ranked 77th in CNN Money Magazine’s best places to live.
Exploring El Dorado Hills
The community offers the Californians and others skiing, the ocean, state parks and wineries. Only 40 minutes from Sacramento and 90 minutes from Lake Tahoe, the community provides acres of rolling hills as well, with views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Sacramento Valley. With elevations ranging from 200 feet to more than 10,800 feet, there is exquisite diversity in the landscape, in a community that is rich in history and provides a wide variety of recreational options.
A community with cultural advancements and recreational activities
The El Dorado Hills community is known for its educational and cultural advancements, offering several dance academies and art galleries, and a musical theatre ensemble. Some of the recreational opportunities include walking trails along streams and hiking trails around Folsom Lake. The Lake also provides a great spot for jet skiing. In fact, Folsom lake is one of the most popular recreational sites in the state, with 77 miles of shoreline.
Purposes of Estate Planning
The purpose of estate planning is to prepare clients and their families for the possibility of incapacity and death. There are several different estate planning tools you can use for your plan, depending on the goals you have for the future. A Sacramento estate planning attorney can help you choose the right tools for your estate plan.
Planning for possible incapacity
Incapacity can be the result of a medical condition or an injury. The legal concept of incapacity refers to the ability to understand the potential consequences of a legal proceeding. However, when you are dealing with estate planning issues, incapacity refers to a person’s ability to manage their own affairs and make their own decisions.
In addition to mental incapacity, your inabilities can also be physical in nature. Whatever makes it difficult or impossible for you to take care of your own affairs. Without an estate plan that addresses incapacity, the court may end up appointing a court-supervised conservator to take care of you.
Advance Healthcare Directives can be used for incapacity planning
An Advance Healthcare Directive is simply a legal document that allows you to delegate medical care and treatment-related decisions to someone else in the event you cannot make them yourself. Advance Healthcare Directives permit you to choose someone to manage your medical decisions. Advance Healthcare Directives are created so that they take effect even in cases of temporary incapacity.
Using a Financial Power of Attorney as part of your incapacity plan
Along with medical decisions, incapacity may also require the need for assistance in handling financial matters. For this type of assistance, you will likely need a Financial Power of Attorney which allows you to select someone you trust to manage your affairs. Ask your Sacramento estate planning attorney about your options.
Planning for your passing
The second purpose of estate planning is to decide how you want your estate to be handled after you pass away. A primary estate planning tool that accomplishes this is the Last Will and Testament. A Will is a set of written instructions regarding how you want your estate to be distributed upon your death. A Will can also nominate a guardian for your children in the event you pass away while they are still minors. One disadvantage of a will is that, except for modest estates, the property must go through probate before the assets in your estate can be distributed. For this reason, most persons who own real estate or have assets in excess of $150,000 would likely benefit from an estate plan based upon a Trust and not just a Will.
The time to start your estate planning is now
Many clients put off starting on an estate plan because they believe they are too young or they don’t have sufficient assets in their estate. But, in reality, no one can predict how long they will live, or whether they will suffer from an illness or accident that leaves them incapacitated. For that reason, estate planning should be a priority sooner rather than later. Once disaster strikes or the unexpected happens, it may be too late. The families of clients who don’t plan ahead are left to pick up the pieces, often without any idea how to start.
If you have questions regarding any estate planning matters, please contact us at the Northern California Center for Estate Planning and Elder Law for a consultation. You can contact us either online or by calling us at (916) 437-3500. We are here to help!
