An Estate Plan must consider the assets owned jointly between you and another person, such as a residence or assets for which you have designated a beneficiary, such as a life insurance policy.
If an asset has a beneficiary designation, that asset will pass to the named beneficiary. For example, you likely named a person as the beneficiary of your life insurance or retirement plan. It is important to periodically check your beneficiary designations to ensure you have the right individual named and that they are up to date. If you own an asset jointly, for example if you own your house as “Joint Tenants with Rights of Survivorship”, the surviving joint owner will receive that asset.
Choosing the right ownership and succession of assets can be complicated. Our Attorneys can assist you with discussing a Will, Trust, asset ownership, beneficiary selection, and the distribution of your estate.