One of the most important and loving gifts you can provide for your loved ones is to create a clear and comprehensive written plan as to how your assets will be distributed upon your death. This plan is known as an "Estate Plan". This is especially true for blended families where competing interests may be encountered. It is critical that you hire a lawyer to assist you in preparing your Estate Plan.

You have spent many years working hard to accumulate assets which will give you security and peace of mind during your retirement years. These assets also form part of your legacy for the benefit of your children and grandchildren and/or many wonderful charitable organizations that you might want to donate to because they do so much good for citizens or causes in our communities.
 

Oklahoma Law requires that your instructions for distribution of your assets must be in writing in a document called a "Last Will and Testament" or a "Revocable (or Irrevocable) Living Trust." These documents must be properly witnessed and/or notarized by a licensed notary public. These documents contain many other technical provisions to insure your wishes are clear and enforceable by a court of law, if any disputes arise. VERBAL STATEMENTS by a potential heir as to what the deceased person intended to be distributed to the alleged heir cannot be admitted in evidence or enforced by a court. If you die without a will or a trust, the court will rely on state law to distribute your assets for you...many times in a manner that you never intended. 
 

There are several other legal documents that your attorney can prepare to protect your welfare or assets. These include Powers of Attorney and Advance Medical Directives. Illness, accidents and advanced age often leave people incapacitated and incapable of handling their own personal needs or business affairs. Powers of Attorney and Advance Medical Directives allow you to appoint a person BEFORE YOU BECOME INCAPACITATED who can take care of your health and personal welfare and business affairs and carry out your medical wishes if you have a terminal illness. Remember, once you become incapacitated, it is too late to sign a Power of Attorney or Medical Directive. If that happens, your loved ones will be required to file a time-consuming and expensive court proceeding called a Guardianship or Conservatorship in which a Judge will appoint a person or persons, whom you may not have desired, to take care of your person and assets. That person will have to file reports with the court as to how you and your assets will be managed. In other words, a Judge will supervise your personal business.
 

Mr. Davis has the knowledge and expertise to prepare all of these written documents so that you will have peace of mind that your estate assets will be distributed as you wish and that you and your assets will be taken care of by a trusted person or persons if you become incapacitated.