How is an Estate Plan the only way to avoid probate?
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There's a number of different strategies when it comes to avoiding probate. The basic concept is that any asset that does not have an automatic trigger to transfer to a new person is a probatable asset. So, if you have a house that's in your name and that's all you've done, that house becomes a probatable asset.

There are a number of techniques and tactics that you can use to have those assets automatically transfer. And a combination of those are usually what constitutes an estate plan. Once you've come up with a strategy on how you want to make those transfers, going through the process of making sure that all of your assets do transfer without going through probate, whether that is a beneficiary designation or joint ownership or putting the assets into something like a trust, is essential.

We support you in figuring out the method and technique that works best for you and your assets and your families on how those assets should transfer so that they don't have to go through the probate process. ​If you would like to know more about the topic, just reach out for a Free Consultation. We can help.

This video is for informative purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice. Small details can have big consequences. Want to know more about Estate Planning, schedule a free consultation with us.

How does a prenup fit an estate plan?
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We actually call it a marital property agreement because it can happen before or after you get married, and they're equally valid either way. 
​The marital property agreement determines what is going to be considered to be your assets. An estate plan says what happens to my assets when I die. So there are two different pieces of it, but it's really important that they work well together. 

So if you have an estate plan that says I want all of my property to go to my children that were from a previous relationship and my spouse has children from a different relationship, that's part of it. But it hasn't figured out what you mean when you say all of my property. It may not be what you think it is because in Wisconsin, everything that you own and everything that your spouse owns is presumed to be equally owned by the both of you. So it's important if your intention is, especially in a blended family, if your intention is for your assets to go to someplace that's different from where your spouse's assets would go that you have some sort of agreement in place to figure that out.
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If you would like to start a conversation about this, just reach out for a Free Consultation. We can help.

This video is for informative purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice. Small details can have big consequences. Want to know more about Estate Planning, schedule a free consultation with us.

The Cost of Doing an Estate Plan
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Estate planning is not only about the distribution of your assets after your death. It is also about protecting your wishes in the event that you are living but unable to make decisions on your own. 

There's a variety of different costs that an estate plan can end up being, but keep reading to learn exactly what to expect. To start, it doesn't cost anything. At Block Legal we do all of our initial consults free of charge. And generally speaking, an estate plan is a strategy. So, what does it cost to have a strategy? It doesn't cost anything. We only charge for the actual legal work that we do and the legal documents that we produce for you. Sometimes we get through the end of our first meeting and decide there are no documents needed at this time.

​One of the considerations that goes into our advice is what is your budget. And if your budget is modest, we can figure out what's the biggest bang for the buck for that. How can we help the most for that budget? If your needs are more expansive, then we have got more options that are available. But the bottom line is to have a meeting to discuss your options and to help put together a strategy. There's no charge for us for that.

Block Legal Services has the expertise you need for a holistic approach to estate planning, including creating trusts, wills, and POAs, and representing clients in probate and estate administration. Schedule an initial consultation today to see how we can help.

This video is for informative purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice. Small details can have big consequences. Want to know more about Estate Planning, schedule a free consultation with us.

How long does it take to do an estate plan?
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The first meeting is usually about an hour, hour and a half depending mainly on how many questions there are. After that first meeting we develop a strategy that we want to implement and we have figured out what documents we are going to help draft. 
Typically those documents take a few weeks to put together and get out to you. It may take a little less than that, may take a little bit more. Once we have sent the documents out then as far as our firm is concerned, we are ready to sign and it really just depends on our clients comfort level with the documents and their availability. Most of the duration between when we first meet with someone and when we have them come back in for signing is just a question of schedule.

​Want to know more about your Estate Planning, schedule a free consultation with us.

This video is for informative purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice. Small details can have big consequences.