A will is a document containing your instructions and wishes as to how your property and assets are to be distributed after your death.  Even if you feel your assets are simple or straightforward, a will can serve the very important function of allowing you to designate a guardian to care for your children.  You can also create a children’s trust so that assets intended for them are properly managed for their benefit.

A power of attorney allows you to choose a trusted person or organization to handle your financial, legal, or health care matters if you're unable to do so.  This is a very important document which may help you avoid the burden of court oversight in the event of incapacity.

Advance health care directives let your physician, family and friends know your health care preferences, including the types of special treatment you want or don't want at the end of life such as your desire for pain management, life sustaining measures, and organ donation.

Excerpt from "Fundamentals of Trusts and Estates, Third Edition" by Roger W. Andersen and Ira Mark Bloom.  Says Karen, "I came to estate planning by way of family law.  Following a divorce, my clients would often ask, "What happens to my will?"  Eventually, I began drafting wills and probating estates, and saw how well estate planning complemented family law.  In both practices, you anticipate a family's future needs and you assess and distribute property.  More importantly, you proactively create structure from a jumble of hopes, fears, and anxieties.  There is no greater reward than seeing the peace brought to a client by a carefully prepared estate plan."