Estate Planning in Shelby County
Estate Planning Services in Columbiana, Alabama
Most people put off estate planning because they are not sure where to start.
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Carden Legal Services prepares wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives for individuals and families in Columbiana and Shelby County, and makes sure the documents agree with each other, with your deeds, and with your beneficiary designations.
Grady Carden does the work himself and explains the fee before any of it begins.
Three Reasons People Call About an Estate Plan
You have nothing in place.
You know you need a will and probably more than a will, and you want it handled by someone who will tell you plainly what you need and what you do not.
Your plan is out of date
Your documents were signed years ago, before a marriage, a divorce, a birth, a death, a move to Alabama, or a change in what you own.
You want to keep your family out of probate court
You have heard a trust can do that and you want a straight answer about whether it makes sense for you.
What an Alabama estate plan can include
Last Will and Testament
Names who receives your property, who serves as personal representative, and who would raise minor children. The foundation of almost every plan
Revocable Living Trust
Holds property during your life and passes it at death without probate. Useful in specific situations, unnecessary in others. We tell you which.
Durable Power of Attorney
Lets someone you choose handle your finances and property if you cannot. Without one, your family may need a court conservatorship.
Advance Directive and Living Will
Puts your health care wishes in writing and names the person who speaks for you. Includes a HIPAA authorization so they can get information from your doctors.
Estate Plan Review and Update
A full read of what you already have: wills, trusts, powers of attorney, deeds, and beneficiary designations, with a list of what needs to change.
Deed Preparation and Property Transfers
Deeds that match the plan: survivorship, transfers into a trust, family transfers, and life-estate deeds, prepared and recorded correctly.
One plan, not six separate documents
A will controls only property that goes through probate.
A deed with survivorship, a retirement account with a named beneficiary, and property in a trust all pass outside the will.
When those pieces were set up at different times by different people, they often contradict each other, and the will ends up controlling less than you expected.
That is why Carden Legal Services reviews deeds and beneficiary designations as part of every plan, and why the power of attorney and advance directive are drafted at the same time as the will.
One attorney, one set of documents, no gaps between them.
One plan, not six separate documents
A will controls only property that goes through probate.
A deed with survivorship, a retirement account with a named beneficiary, and property in a trust all pass outside the will.
When those pieces were set up at different times by different people, they often contradict each other, and the will ends up controlling less than you expected.
That is why Carden Legal Services reviews deeds and beneficiary designations as part of every plan, and why the power of attorney and advance directive are drafted at the same time as the will.
One attorney, one set of documents, no gaps between them.
HOW IT WORKS
What to Expect
Four steps from the first call to signed documents. One attorney handles all of them, and you know the fee before step three begins
Schedule a Consultation
By Google Meet, by phone, or in person by appointment. Tell us about your family, what you own, and what you are worried about.
Get a recommendation and a fee
You leave the first meeting knowing which documents you need, which you do not, and what it will cost.
Review the drafts
You read everything before signing. Questions are answered in plain English.
Sign and store
Documents are signed with the witnesses and notary. Alabama requires. You leave with originals and a short list of what to update when life changes.
Fees explained before work begins
Estate planning at Carden Legal Services is generally handled on a flat-fee basis.
The fee depends on which documents you need, and you will know it before any drafting starts.
Complex or unusual matters may require a different arrangement, and that is discussed up front too.
Meet by the way that works for you
Consultations are available by Zoom, Google Meet or by phone.
In-person meetings and signings are available by appointment in Columbiana, Alabaster, or Calera.
Depending on the client's location, meetings can sometimes be arranged at the client's home or place of business.
Common Legal
Questions
What documents make up a basic Alabama estate plan?
For most people, a basic plan is a last will and testament, a durable power of attorney, an advance directive for health care with a HIPAA authorization, and a review of beneficiary designations and deeds so they agree with the will. Some families also use a revocable living trust.
Do I need a trust, or is a will enough?
A will is enough for many Alabama families. A revocable living trust is worth considering when you own real estate in more than one state, want to avoid probate for privacy or timing reasons, or need to manage property for someone who cannot manage it themselves. We walk through both options before recommending either.
How much does estate planning cost at Carden Legal Services?
Estate planning is generally handled on a flat-fee basis. The fee depends on which documents you need, and it is explained before any work begins.
How long does it take to complete an estate plan?
Most plans are drafted, reviewed, and signed within a few weeks of the first meeting, depending on how quickly information comes back and when you are available to sign.
Do you meet with clients outside Columbiana?
Consultations are available by Google Meet or by phone, and in-person meetings and signings can be scheduled by appointment in Columbiana, Alabaster, or Calera.
No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.
Carden Legal Services, LLC serves clients in the following Alabama locations: Birmingham, Alabaster, Helena, Pelham, Jefferson County, Shelby County, Chilton County, Montgomery, Prattville, Millbrook, Wetumpka, Tuskegee, Selma, Troy, Greenville, Autauga County, Montgomery County, Elmore County, Tri-County Region, River Region, Central Alabama, Alabama statewide.