Estate Planning & Administration:

Clients plan their estates because they want their families to be taken care of and they want their wishes carried as to the disposition of their wealth. They also want to minimize taxes. The process of estate planning and estate administration can be a challenging and emotional experience. Dungan & Associates strives to minimize the stress associated with estate planning and estate administration by building relationships with clients. Our clients know that they can depend on us to administer an estate efficiently and economically in order to put maximum assets in the hands of the beneficiaries. Dungan & Associates is dedicated to communicating with clients to ensure that their objectives are accomplished. Our firm has broad experience in administering estates in an efficient manner.

Dungan & Associates assists clients with the following estate planning or administrative matters:

• Wills
• Revocable trusts
• Living Wills
• Health care powers of attorney
• Durable powers of attorney
• Estate Administration
• Guardians

Advance Care Documents

Advance care documents stipulate the type of care you want at the end of your life should you become unable to communicate and decide for yourself. The living will and the health care power of attorney are advance care documents that enable people to instruct their physicians, family, friends and lawyers about their wishes for medical care.

In a living will you can stipulate that you do not want your life to be prolonged by extraordinary means, hydration or artificial nutrition in the event of an incurable and terminal condition or a persistent vegetative state. A living will is easy to prepare and only requires the signature of two witnesses in a notary's presence. The living will must be signed when you are mentally competent and it remains effective when you can no longer express your wishes regarding your health care. Living wills ensure you can die with dignity.

Executing a health care power of attorney improves the chances that your wishes regarding your living will are followed. A health care power of attorney is a document that is executed to grant someone else the power to make health care decisions for you when you are no longer capable. North Carolina law allows you to give extensive directions to your health care power of attorney and protects healthcare personnel who comply with your health care power of attorney's instructions on your behalf.

Intestate Succession Act

If a North Carolina decedent's estate is not disposed of by will, the intestate share will be distributed according to the North Carolina Intestate Succession Act, N.C.G.S. § 29. If there are no heirs under the Intestate Succession Act, the decedent's property passes to the State of North Carolina. It is critical for individuals to execute wills that effectively distribute their assets according to their wishes.