Estate Planning & Probate

If a loved one has passed away and you have questions about what to do next, call Eddins Domine.  Our lawyers will explain the process to you, which varies depending on whether or not the decedent had a Will.  If your loved one had a Will, they should have named an Executor, who will likely be appointed to handle the administration of the estate.  Often, the Executor is not a lawyer and will need a lawyer’s help in properly handling the estate.  If there is no Will, a person who was close to the decedent, often a spouse or a child, will have to petition the court to be appointed to administer the estate.  In most cases, it is important to open an estate as soon as possible because the assets should not be disbursed to beneficiaries for six months after the estate is open.  Call Eddins Domine to discuss this process in more detail.

It is important for most adults to have a Will, even if they are very young.  Often young parents need to decide who will care for their children in the unlikely event of their deaths.  Most parents agree that assets should be put in a trust instead of given outright to their young or teenage children in this situation.  Elderly individuals and couples need Wills so that their families and friends will be clear on their wishes.  Eddins Domine is experienced in drafting Wills for adults of all ages.  Contact Eddins Domine to discuss your needs and to hear about our reasonable flat rate for Wills.

Many people do not realize how important it is to have a Power of Attorney document, naming a trustworthy person to handle their affairs in the event that they are not able to do so personally.  Often, by the time you need this document you are no longer in a position to sign the document.  Therefore, it is best to sign a Power of Attorney before you are sick or aging.  Eddins Domine can draft a Power of Attorney for you so that you can rest easy that all of your affairs will be managed by the person of your choice if that becomes a necessity.  Call Eddins Domine to discuss our low flat rate for drafting your Power of Attorney.

Often, people want to marry, and even though they believe that the marriage will last, they wish to have an agreement in place before the marriage that sets out their agreement as to what will happen in the event of a death or divorce. In Kentucky, the parties can waive the right to certain property as well as maintenance support.  When the agreement is signed before the marriage, it is a pre-nuptial agreement (also called an ante-nuptial agreement).   These agreements are most common when one party enters the marriage with a much larger net worth than the other. Such agreements are also used when one or both parties have children that are from another relationship.  Post-nuptial agreements are very similar, but they are signed after the parties marry. Pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements can make a divorce much less complicated and much less expensive, but you should know that the agreements are not always upheld by courts.  Call Eddins Domine if you would like to know more about pre-nuptial or post-nuptial agreements.