O'Donnell Law Center : Lake of the Ozarks

Planning for end of life is an important task, although it may seem a bit morbid. It’s inevitable that everyone is going to die and it’s best to have your wishes stated. An estate planning attorney in Camden County, Missouri can help ensure your wishes are properly documented. One of the decisions you will need to make is where to be buried. If you would prefer a traditional burial in a plot, you may want to go ahead and choose your place. There are a few factors you should consider when selecting a burial plot and O’Donnell Law Center is here to help you think about your options. Plot Location There are many location options when it comes to choosing your burial plot. Do you want to be laid to rest in your hometown, with your family, in your favorite vacation spot? Once you’ve decided on a physical location, you can start looking at the different cemetery options available in that specific location.  Size of Plot There are different plot sizes available at most ceme...

Though we know that we won't live forever, few of us want to think about the fact that we will one day pass away.  However, it is  important to think about what we want life to look like for our surviving family members once we are no longer around. Because this may be an unpleasant thought process, it can be difficult to open ourselves up to these types of conversations.  If you or a loved one is having trouble discussing end-of-life preparations, our estate planning firm in Osage Beach MO may be able to help. We frequently facilitate these types of conversations for our clients. Keep reading to learn more about how we can help you start the conversation. End-Of-Life Decisions There are a number of end-of-life decisions that should be addressed, and we have listed a few examples below: Who do you want to inherit your property? At what age do you wish your children to receive access to their inheritance? Who do you want to make end-of-life decisions on your...

If you've kept up with our blog, you know that we spend a great deal of time talking about the importance of organizing your affairs so that all will transition smoothly to your heirs after you pass. Without a proper estate plan in order, your assets may be tied up in probate for months - or potentially even years - before they can be distributed to your heirs. At O'Donnell Law Center , a significant portion of our practice is dedicated to helping our clients with their estate planning needs. If you are preparing to begin the estate planning process, our Lake of the Ozarks estate planning attorney is here to help. Here are a few factors we advise you to consider before preparing your estate plan. 1. Who Shall Receive Guardianship Of Your Children? If you have children, this is the most important - and possibly the most challenging - decision you will have to make during the estate planning process. It is essential that you nominate someone to care of your children i...

Because it requires you to think critically about end-of-life decisions, estate planning often seems like a daunting prospect. None of us want to think about our eventual deaths. Unfortunately, none of us will live forever - it is important that we organize our affairs and build estate plans to ensure that our wishes will be met once we are no longer present. At our Lake of the Ozarks law firm , we dedicate a significant portion of our practice to estate planning. In order to easily guide our clients through their end-of-life decisions, we have condensed the process into three simple but comprehensive steps. Here is a quick overview of how we handle estate planning at the Lake of the Ozarks . Step 1:  Initial Meeting The first step is to meet with you to discuss your end-of-life wishes. We will ask various questions and guide you through certain topics to help you decide how and to whom you would like your assets to be distributed upon your passing. Some of the topics yo...

End of life decisions can be hard to make, but they are critical. If you do not properly organize your affairs before passing, state statutes may direct the division of your property. Fortunately, planning your estate becomes a lot easier when you have an estate planning attorney at the Lake of the Ozarks to guide you through the process. Here are a few things you will want to consider when you build your estate plan. Determine How To Pay For Your Burial Do you have a plan for how your funeral and burial will be paid for? After you pass away, your personal representative will likely be expected to satisfy this cost from the assets of your estate. If there is not enough cash in your estate to satisfy this debt, property and other assets may have to be sold. Decide When To Distribute Assets To Your Heirs When do you wish for your assets to be distributed to your heirs? If your children are under the age of eighteen, you may want to establish a trust that will allow you to des...

Estate planning remains one of the busiest practice areas at our law firm at the Lake of the Ozarks . End of life is never an easy topic, but dedicating some time and attention to your end of life directives is essential in order to ensure that your assets and belongings pass to your heirs smoothly. Our estate planning attorney in Osage Beach MO and her legal staff are here to assist you in building a proper estate plan that will effectively meet your needs. Your Estate Plan - 3 Choices When it comes to setting up your estate plan, you have three primary options to choose from. You may do nothing, put together a will coupled with non-probate transfers, or establish a trust. 1. Doing Nothing If you pass away without any sort of an estate plan in place, the State will determine what happens to your assets and who will receive what. This is called "dying intestate," and it can be very involved and time-consuming. Who receives your assets will depend on your survivi...

Our estate planning division is one of the most active divisions at our Lake of the Ozarks general practice law firm . This is a good thing, because it means people are recognizing the importance of making end of life decisions and getting those wishes in writing. There are several different situations in life that may trigger the need to develop or revise your estate plan. We have talked before about some of them, such as buying your first home or car, receiving an inheritance, and/or starting a business. This week, your estate planning professionals in Osage Beach MO are here to discuss a few other situations that may motivate people to make important end of life decisions. When To Draft (Or Revise) Your Estate Plan Starting A Family Starting a family is a life-changing experience. Your kids will become your whole world - the first people you think about when you wake up in the morning and the last people you think about before going to sleep at night. As parents, you wi...

While no one wants to think about it, none of us will live forever. Effective end of life discussions go beyond a simple "who gets my stuff?" - in order to properly plan your estate at the Lake of the Ozarks , it's important to identify what you want people to remember about you and what makes you comfortable. O'Donnell Law Center will be here to help facilitate these types of conversations. Setting Up Your Estate Plan No two estate plans are exactly alike. A proper estate plan is completely customized to meet you and your family's unique needs. Different financial and familial situations require the use of different estate planning documents. Today, we're going to look specifically at wills and revocable living trusts. Revocable Living Trusts Revocable living trusts are valuable estate planning documents that offer several unique advantages. For example, with a revocable living trust, you can: Designate a successor trustee to be in charge of you...

End of life is something no one wants to think about, but it will inevitably happen to all of us. Being prepared by setting up an estate plan at the Lake of the Ozarks can make things much easier on our relatives after we pass and can ensure that our wishes are met after we are no longer in the physical realm. Many people ask our estate planning attorney in Osage Beach MO when they should set up their estate plan. However, there is not a single right time to do it; every person's situation is different. This week, we want to explore some of the different situations in which you might want to consider setting up your estate plan or, if you already have a plan in place, updating your existing plan to meet your current needs. Events In Your Life That Might Trigger The Need To Have An Estate Plan Include... Buying Your First Car Or Home When you own property, it's important to dictate what should happen to it   when you pass away. Do you want a relative or ...