Military
Supporting Military Members and Their Families in San Diego, CA
WE SALUTE YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
San Diego is a military town, and we respect all our military members do. At Legacy APC, it is our goal to help empower all military members, from new recruits to 4-star generals, as they plan for their futures.
The government and military have default approaches to dealing with estate planning, but we believe in a customized approach that creates an estate plan as unique as you are. We can help you plan for the unique risks and benefits of having a military career.
Estate Planning for Active Duty Military
While on active duty, the likelihood of dying prematurely and unexpectedly is a real possibility that you don’t have the luxury of ignoring. Even if the worst doesn’t come to pass, a serious injury could lead to a lifelong disability due to bodily harm.
As a military member with a family, you must protect your spouse and children to ensure they’ll be financially secure no matter what happens.
Here are some of the estate planning situations and documents we’ll go over with you:
Incapacity planning:
In case you are injured or disabled on or off duty, powers of attorney and an advance health directive give someone you trust the authority to make legal, financial, and healthcare decisions on your behalf without the need for court approval.
Life insurance:
Service members need life insurance. There are service member group policies and additional types of life insurance to consider. We’ll help you coordinate and plan for the worst, so your family has what they need during a trying time in their lives.
Survivor benefits:
Survivor benefits provide up to 55% of your retired pay to an eligible beneficiary upon death. We’ll discuss the best way to protect and transfer those funds to your beneficiaries.
Living trust:
A living trust allows you to grant ownership of your assets to a beneficiary.
Funeral planning:
While no one wants to think about the worst-case scenario, our team is prepared to discuss funeral planning with you to ensure your wishes for funeral and burial arrangements are carried out. Your family is eligible to receive funeral and burial benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. We'll help you plan for the eventuality of your passing, both short- and long-term, to ensure there is enough coverage to finance your final wishes.
Guardianships for your children:
Setting up a guardianship allows you to assign a guardian to care for your children. As a part of incapacity and sudden death planning, this is a tool that guarantees your children will be cared for by someone you trust, not someone chosen by the probate court
If you have minor children and are concerned about protecting their futures, please read our page “Estate Planning for Families with Young Children” for more details.
While the military does offer estate planning to members and veterans of the armed forces, many of these plans are created by general practice JAG attorneys who are not as experienced with the intricacies of tax laws, inheritance laws, and other personal planning needs. Their plans tend to be one-size-fits-all solutions instead of custom-tailored estate plans that grow with you and your family.
Estate Planning for Retired Veterans
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
After a service member leaves the military, they are eligible for several services through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Benefits and services you may be entitled to may include support for furthering your education, assistance with the cost of medical care, and compensation for any service-related injuries.
At Legacy APC, we also take into consideration your retirement benefits during estate planning. We help you:
- Designate a beneficiary for your Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP). The SBP allows you to designate a beneficiary who will receive a percentage of your retirement pay after your death.
- Set up a beneficiary for your VA life insurance policy. We also review past designations to ensure they’re up to date and reflect your current wishes, as these designations supersede wills and other estate documents.
- Create an estate plan, coordinate non-trust assets and set clear beneficiary designations to ensure military benefits aren’t unnecessarily diverted after your death.
- Appoint financial and health care powers of attorney to help with benefit management.
Estate planning is crucial for veterans, especially because of the complexity of military benefits and programs. A thorough estate plan takes into consideration these benefits, their value, and your ability to convey your wishes for those benefits. The right estate plan ensures your military legacy is passed on smoothly, supporting your heirs in a time of upset.
Every military member and military family’s situation is different. At Legacy APC our informed, experienced estate planning professionals can help you protect yourself and your loved ones throughout life. Schedule your free consultation or call our office at (619) 696-0778 today to get started on your estate plan.