Grant Estate Law, LLC

06/20/2023

Great day to learn about aging gracefully - Thank you Villages OKC for organizing this awesome event! Check out Villages OKC for their next Positive Aging seminar near you!

06/12/2023

Grant Estate Law, LLC is offering FREE Estate Planning Workshops!

When: June 20 & June 21, 2023 from 6-715pm
Where: Midwest City Public Library
Address: 8143 E Reno Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73110

Join Attorney Chase Grant to learn estate planning basics. Topics discussed include: Powers of Attorney, Advance Directives, Trusts, Probate, and more...

Call (405)455-3599 today to reserve your seat!

At GEL, we strive to make the time you're forced to spend with a lawyer as painless as possible!

05/03/2023

Grant Estate Law, LLC is offering FREE Estate Planning Workshops!

When: Thursday, May 18, 2023 from 6 - 715pm
Where: Moore Public Library
Address: 225 S. Howard Ave., Moore, OK 73160.

When: Tuesday, May 30, 2023 from 6 - 715pm
Where: SW OKC Public Library
Address: 2201 SW 134th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73170

Attorney Chase Grant will teach attendees about Medical & Financial Powers of Attorney, the Advance Directive for Healthcare, Wills and Trusts, How to Avoid Probate, Plan for Medicaid and more.

Call (405)455-3599 to reserve your seat(s) today!

Grant Estate Law, LLC provides a lawyer who works with you, your family, and your professional advisors to establish a plan for the money and property you have spent your life earning and protecting

10/06/2022

I Have A Will, Is That Enough Of An Estate Plan?

A valid Last Will & Testament GUARANTEES you will be required to go to court to file a Petition for Probate. If there is NOT a Will, a Petition for Estate Administration must be filed with the Court.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/faqs/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

09/29/2022

What Is Probate?

Probate is a Court-monitored process of proving a Will is valid and transferring the property of a deceased person to the people named in the Will. Estate Administration is the name of the process followed when there is NOT a valid Will. The court monitors the transfer of property to the legal heirs of the decedent.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/faqs/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

09/22/2022

How Long Does A Probate Take?

A typical probate case will last a minimum of six (6) months. Common reasons that probate cases take longer include selling real property during the probate, contested issues requiring additional hearings, and difficulty identifying and inventorying the assets of the estate.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/faqs/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

09/20/2022

09/14/2022

Why Won’t My Will Keep My Estate Out Of Probate?

Under Oklahoma Probate Law, a Will must be “proved” to be valid before a Judge (Title 58 Okla. Statutes §21). The Judge will then monitor the case as your Personal Representative attempts to carry out the terms of your Will.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/faqs/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

09/08/2022

How do I avoid Probate?

By making sure the things you own have a plan. Property such as your home, other land or mineral interests, life insurance proceeds paid to the estate, and suspended royalty payments from oil/gas leases are common reasons estates are forced to go through Probate.

Methods for avoiding Probate include titling property in the name of your Trust or using Payable On Death (POD) or Beneficiary designations to transfer ownership of property automatically at death. One way to think about a Revocable Living Trust is to compare it to a Will that simply doesn’t need to go through Probate.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/faqs/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

09/01/2022

Do Beneficiaries Or Heirs Have To Pay Taxes When Inheriting Money In Oklahoma?

Heirs and beneficiaries typically do not have to pay taxes when inheriting money in Oklahoma. However, special attention should be paid to the basis, or the purchase price, of any real property or other pieces of property that may have appreciated significantly in value. Certain assets can be stepped up in value as to their basis at death, but some may not be able to. It is important to pay attention to the different tax consequences and the types of transactions when dealing with property.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/what-factors-should-people-consider-when-setting-up-an-estate-plan/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

08/24/2022

What Are Some Core Estate Planning Documents That Should Be Part Of Everyone’s Estate Plan?

There are several core documents that everybody should have. Let’s start with the incapacity documents, which cover your powers of attorney, your HIPAA authorization (so that people can get medical information about you), and of course, your advanced directive for healthcare, also known as the living will.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/what-happens-to-my-assets-if-i-die-without-any-estate-plan/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

08/18/2022

What Are The Major Mistakes People Make When They Try To Handle Their Own Estate Planning Without The Advice Of Experienced Legal Counsel?

The biggest challenge for a layperson when doing their own estate planning is just understanding the law and the impact that the document will have. Under Oklahoma law, if you have only a last will and testament, your loved ones will have to go to court and go through the probate process when you die. They will need to hire an attorney to shepherd them through that process. That’s something most people here in Oklahoma don’t seem to know. When you do your own estate planning, you risk not understanding what will happen, what the consequences will be.

Learn Here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/what-happens-to-my-assets-if-i-die-without-any-estate-plan/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

08/11/2022

Can I Do My Own Estate Planning?

You can do your own estate plan if you want. There are some very simple templates out there that can potentially get you to where you want to be. However, the most common mistake that people make is simply not understanding the power of the documents they are transferring. For example, you can draft and execute your own power of attorney document, but what you may not understand is that if you give your brother a power of attorney and it goes into effect immediately, your brother can clear out your bank account. That is just one of the common examples of people not understanding the full power and scope of an estate plan and the documents that go with it.

Learn Here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/what-happens-to-my-assets-if-i-die-without-any-estate-plan/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

08/04/2022

How Often Do You Recommend That People Review And Revise Their Estate Planning Documents?

I recommend that people go back and review their estate plan every time a significant life change has occurred, whether that be a death in their family, the marriage of a beneficiary, a divorce, or some other significant life change. It can even be something as small as buying a new car or a boat or a house. Anything that pops up in the brain as a significant life decision should signal a reason to call your advisor and your lawyer to review your estate plan and make any changes that are required.

Learn Here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/what-happens-to-my-assets-if-i-die-without-any-estate-plan/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

07/28/2022

What Should The Ultimate Goal Of Estate Planning Be In Oklahoma?

In Oklahoma, a proper estate plan takes care of the person’s needs in the event that they cannot. It’s best to focus on the people, money, and assets that will take care of you while you are still living and to make a plan for how you want those assets to be distributed to your heirs after you’re gone.

Learn Here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/what-happens-to-my-assets-if-i-die-without-any-estate-plan/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

07/21/2022

Estate/Gift Tax Planning – Estates valued over a certain threshold may be subject to Federal Estate tax. The current exemption threshold for 2021 is $11.7M per person or $23.4M for a married couple. This amount currently subjects less than 1% of estates in the US to Estate Tax. However, this exemption is set to expire on its own in 2026, and the current political environment seems poised to make a change in this area before then. The current rate is 40% tax on all assets over the exemption threshold amount ($11.7M/23.4M).

Learn Here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/estate-gift-tax-planning/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

07/18/2022

Asset Protection – Asset Protection is the process of keeping your assets safe from creditors. In most cases, this must be done before the creditor makes a claim. An asset protection planning law firm provides the necessary support for the best chances of protecting yourself against creditors, who often have many resources to fight you.

Learn Here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/asset-protection/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

07/13/2022

Probate Avoidance – Creating a trust can help avoid the requirement of going through the Court to distribute someone’s property and money to their heirs. The most common way this is accomplished is by using a Revocable Living Trust (RLT) to “own” your property. Then, the terms of the Trust control how the assets owned by it are distributed to your beneficiaries. Those terms can dictate that the property is to remain “in trust” for the benefit of your beneficiary, be distributed outright to them as soon as possible, or another form of distribution that we design.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/probate-avoidance/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

06/30/2022

Incapacity Planning – The first step in your Estate Plan should include documents that aid in managing your affairs in the event you become incapacitated (i.e. mentally/physically unable to make decisions). These include:

• Financial Power of Attorney
• Medical Power of Attorney
• HIPAA Waiver
• Advance Directive for Healthcare (aka “Living Will“)

In these documents, you will designate people who will have the authority to receive information and act on your behalf regarding your financial and medical decisions.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/incapacity-planning/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

06/22/2022

Business Formation & Planning – Starting your own small business? Already have one running? We can draft the documents you need to formally establish your business. Creating a separate entity can protect your personal assets from debts or claims against your business.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/business-formation-planning/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

06/16/2022

Estate/Gift Tax Planning – Estates valued over a certain threshold may be subject to Federal Estate tax. The current exemption threshold for 2021 is $11.7M per person or $23.4M for a married couple. This amount currently subjects less than 1% of estates in the US to Estate Tax. However, this exemption is set to expire on its own in 2026, and the current political environment seems poised to make a change in this area before then.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

06/08/2022

Probate Avoidance – Creating a trust can help avoid the requirement of going through the Court to distribute someone's property and money to their heirs. The most common way this is accomplished is by using a Revocable Living Trust (RLT) to “own” your property. Then, the terms of the Trust control how the assets owned by it are distributed to your beneficiaries.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

06/01/2022

Incapacity Planning – The first step in your Estate Plan should include documents that aid in managing your affairs in the event you become incapacitated (i.e. mentally/physically unable to make decisions). These include:
• Financial Power of Attorney
• Medical Power of Attorney
• HIPAA Waiver
• Advance Directive for Healthcare (aka “Living Will”)
Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

05/25/2022

How to Avoid Probate?

Avoiding unnecessary trips to the Courthouse is one of the primary functions of your Estate Plan. The key to avoiding probate is to have a plan for what happens to your money and property when/if something tragic happens to you.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

05/19/2022

Last Will and Testament – In Oklahoma, when a person dies with a valid Last Will and Testament, it MUST go through court proceedings to enforce the terms of that will. A person who dies with a valid Will is said to have died testate. If a person dies without a Will, or intestate, the estate will be administered through the court similarly to the procedures required when a Will exists. The main difference is that the property under an intestate estate will be distributed according to Oklahoma Intestacy Law and generally is distributed to the blood relatives of the decedent.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

05/12/2022

How Can Someone Initiate Medicaid Planning In Oklahoma?

Medicaid planning is important to keep on the horizon. Obviously, you don’t want to wait until an event or a medical event is upon you because of that five-year lookback period. There is no right age, but based on different health challenges that people face, I encourage people even as young as 50 years old to just consider it, to have the conversation, and to start preparing; even if it’s just a conversation with their spouse. Medicaid planning is the best way to protect the estate you’ve spent your life building from various challenges that face it.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/can-i-just-give-away-my-assets-to-qualify-for-medicaid-in-oklahoma/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

05/09/2022

What Factors Should People Consider When Setting Up an Estate Plan?

HIPAA waivers, or HIPAA authorization documents, are very overlooked pieces of a family estate plan. Let’s say you have an 18-year-old child who is heading off to college. If that child has a medical event and is taken to the emergency room, you (the parent) would not be allowed to receive any medical information about your child while they’re at the emergency room due to HIPAA laws. The same would go for an 87-year-old father-in-law.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/what-factors-should-people-consider-when-setting-up-an-estate-plan/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

05/02/2022

What Should I Know If My Loved One’s Estate Is Going Through Probate?

You need to know the overall timeline of probate and have an understanding of how the process will move and what the duties that are placed on you entail. This process will always start with either searching for a will or, if there is a will, reading it and interpreting it. The next step will be identifying the person or persons who will be in charge of administering the estate. If there is no will, then it is typically by order of preference; a surviving spouse has the highest preference, followed by the children of the decedent, followed by the parents of the decedent and siblings. So, there is an order of priority for who can serve as the administrator of an estate.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/what-should-i-know-if-my-loved-ones-estate-is-going-through-probate/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

04/22/2022

Does Everyone Need A Will? Is A Will Ever Enough On Its Own?

Everyone should have a will. A will can sometimes be enough on its own, depending on the assets that are left behind by a person. If assets such as real property, bank accounts, or anything that carries a title or a deed are left in one person’s name alone, then they will have to go through probate. That means that an estate with no assets in the decedent’s name that carry a title or a deed could avoid probate. Things such as the guardianship of their minor child could be taken care of by a will, and that is just an example of how a will could impact an estate differently.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/does-everyone-need-a-will-is-a-will-ever-enough-on-its-own/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

04/13/2022

What Happens to My Assets If I Die Without Any Estate Planning Documents in Oklahoma?

Under Oklahoma law, your assets would be subject to a process called probate, or estate administration, if you were to die intestate (without a will). During probate, someone is appointed to serve as personal representative for the estate. They will be responsible for making an inventory of the estate’s assets and distributing those assets, all while the court monitors the process.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/what-happens-to-my-assets-if-i-die-without-any-estate-plan/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

04/06/2022

Estate/Gift Tax Planning – Estates valued over a certain threshold may be subject to Federal Estate tax. The current exemption threshold for 2021 is $11.7M per person or $23.4M for a married couple. This amount currently subjects less than 1% of estates in the US to Estate Tax. However, this exemption is set to expire on its own in 2026, and the current political environment seems poised to make a change in this area before then.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/estate-gift-tax-planning/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

04/01/2022

Asset Protection – Asset Protection is the process of protecting money and property from creditors. In general, this must be done BEFORE the creditor makes a claim. The most common creditors faced include:

• Medicaid
• Lien Holders
• Credit Card Companies

Asset Protection can be designed to protect you as the owner of the trust from a forced Medicaid “spend-down” or it can be used to prevent potential future creditors from attaching to property left to a beneficiary. An Asset Protection component to a Trust allows for flexibility when planning for future unknown threats to you and your loved ones.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/asset-protection/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

03/21/2022

Incapacity Planning – The first step in your Estate Plan should include documents that aid in managing your affairs in the event you become incapacitated (i.e. mentally/physically unable to make decisions). These include:

• Financial Power of Attorney
• Medical Power of Attorney
• HIPAA Waiver
• Advance Directive for Healthcare (aka “Living Will“)
In these documents, you will designate people who will have the authority to receive information and act on your behalf regarding your financial and medical decisions.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/incapacity-planning/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

03/14/2022

Business Formation & Planning – Starting your own small business?

Already have one running? We can draft the documents you need to formally establish your business. Creating a separate entity can protect your personal assets from debts or claims against your business.

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/business-formation-planning/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

03/07/2022

Estate/Gift Tax Planning – Estates valued over a certain threshold may be subject to Federal Estate tax. The current exemption threshold for 2021 is $11.7M per person or $23.4M for a married couple. This amount currently subjects less than 1% of estates in the US to Estate Tax. However, this exemption is set to expire on its own in 2026, and the current political environment seems poised to make a change in this area before then. The current rate is 40% tax on all assets over the exemption threshold amount ($11.7M/23.4M). Learn here:

https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

02/28/2022

Probate Avoidance – Creating a trust can help avoid the requirement of going through the Court to distribute someone's property and money to their heirs. The most common way this is accomplished is by using a Revocable Living Trust (RLT) to “own” your property. Then, the terms of the Trust control how the assets owned by it are distributed to your beneficiaries. Learn here:

https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022

02/23/2022

Incapacity Planning – The first step in your Estate Plan should include documents that aid in managing your affairs in the event you become incapacitated (i.e. mentally/physically unable to make decisions). These include:

• Financial Power of Attorney
• Medical Power of Attorney
• HIPAA Waiver
• Advance Directive for Healthcare (aka “Living Will”)

Learn here: https://www.estateplanoklahoma.com/

Call Now For A Free Consultation: (405) 342-0022