10 Costly Misconceptions about Wills, Trusts, & Powers of Attorney

Misconception #1: A Power of Attorney can be used after death. No. Upon a person's passing, Powers of Attorney lose any and all authority possessed during a person's life. Whether a Power of Attorney for Health Care or a Power of Attorney for Finances, both documents, expires upon death. Neither document allows for anything to be done after death. Such decisions remain strictly in the hands of the Personal Representative under a Will or a Trustee under a Trust.

 Misconception #2: A Will avoids probate.  No.  A Will is the primary tool of the probate system. Your Will is like a letter to the Court telling the Court how you want your property distributed.  The Court gets to interpret your Will. After your death your representative must prove to the Court that all your property is collected and appraised, and all your bills and taxes are paid, before your property can be distributed to your heirs.

Misconception #3: Your Will and your assets remain private.  No.  Because probate is a public legal proceeding, everything that occurs with your estate will become public record.  This means that anyone – including nosy neighbors and salespeople – can go to Court to find out the balance in your accounts, the value of your stocks and other assets, and who you left your property to.

Misconception #4: Estranged family members do not need to be notified of a probate if the Will excludes them from an inheritance.  No.  All heirs must be notified of the probate even if they are excluded from the Will.   It is safer to handle an estate with potentially disgruntled heirs through a Living Trust.

Misconception #5: A Testamentary Trust avoids probate.  No.  A Testamentary Trust is a Trust created at your death by direction of your Will for a specific purpose. Your Will and estate still must go through the probate process.

Misconception #6: Minimizing Estate Taxes should be a primary concern. Probably No. Currently, the exemption level is over $5,450,000 per person. This means prior to having to pay any estate taxes, you need to have assets over that exemption level. While there may be other taxes worth worrying about, namely income taxes on pre-tax retirement accounts, estate taxes often are not of paramount importance.

Misconception #7: Revocable Living Trusts are only for large estates.  No.  Revocable Living Trusts are for anyone who wants to avoid costly conservatorship and probate proceedings.  Those with small estates, and especially their heirs, can benefit from a Revocable Living Trust.

Misconception #8: A Revocable Living Trust must have a separate tax return.  No.  If you are a trustee or co-trustee of your Revocable Living Trust, it does not need a tax return of its own.  Your personal tax return is sufficient for the IRS.

Misconception #9: There are no costs associated with administering a Trust at the death of the original settlor of the Trust.  Not always true.  Depending on what assistance and professional help a Trustee relies on, administering a Trust, distributing the assets, and terminating the Trust can result in fees and costs.  Many trustees hire attorneys and accountants, but these costs are substantially less than the costs of probate.  Typically, these costs are paid by the Trust.

Misconception #10: You have to amend a Revocable Living Trust when you buy or sell your assets.  No.  Your Trust does not have to be changed when you buy or sell assets.  When you buy a new asset, such as real property, a car, or open a new bank account, you simply take title as trustee of your Trust.  If you sell an asset, you sell it as trustee of your Trust.

If you’d like to ensure that you maximize the resources available to your loved ones and keep your family out of Court and out of conflict, schedule a Family Life and Legacy Planning Session.™ We can review your existing plan and help you make adjustments that will help you achieve your goals.

This article is a service of The Estate Planning Group and Davidson Law Office, LLP, your Life & Legacy Planning Lawyers, who believe in developing trusting relationships with families for life. We don’t just draft documents, we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love.

I was nominated as a Personal Representative in a Will, now what do I do?

A loved one has just passed away and someone tells you the decedent nominated you as the Personal Representative of their Estate in their Last Will and Testament. What does this job entail? What authority do you have? What should be your first steps?

In a nutshell, the role of a Personal Representative (also sometimes called an "Executor") is to oversee the gathering of a decedent’s probate assets, pay all necessary creditors, and make distributions in line with the terms of the Last Will and Testament. The Personal Representative is the "manager," overseeing the entire probate process.

A Last Will and Testament should list a particular person(s) to act as Personal Representative. If a will was never executed and no other estate planning documents were completed, an interested person, usually a close friend or family member, petitions the Probate Court to be appointed.

In either case, the Probate Court determines whether to approve the individual, and if a bond will be required to be paid by the nominated Personal Representative as collateral against the value of the probate assets.

If approved by the Probate Court, Domiciliary Letters will be issued to the Personal Representative. Domiciliary Letters serve as formal proof that the Personal Representative has the legal authority to act. Often banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions require this Letter prior to releasing any information.

Throughout the process of administering an Estate, the Personal Representative will also want to keep a close eye on the deadlines mandated by the Probate Court. Deadlines often include: filing a required Notice to Creditors, filing an Inventory of the decedent's probate assets, and filing a final Estate Account listing all the expenses and payouts to beneficiaries. Sample blank forms can be found on the Wisconsin Court System website: https://wicourts.gov/forms1/circuit/index.htm

The Personal Representative is also responsible for paying any outstanding bills, selling any estate assets, submitting final tax returns, and more. There are often specific time deadlines complicating each step of the process of administering an Estate.

It is not uncommon, given the steps involved, to have a probate proceeding open anywhere from 9-15 months, or longer.

If you have questions or concerns about the probate process or your job as Personal Representative, please click here. We are more than happy to guide you through the probate administration and what to expect as a personal representative.