Wills, Trusts & Estates lawyer for North Alabama

Wills, Trusts, and Estate Support

Most people know they need an estate plan — but few take the time to create one.
At Michael Tease Law PC, we help individuals and families take that essential step with confidence.

A proper estate plan ensures that your assets go to the right people with minimal cost, conflict, and court involvement. If you have children, it names who will raise them and who will manage their inheritance. And if you become incapacitated, your plan ensures someone you trust can step in to make medical and financial decisions on your behalf.

We understand that planning for death or incapacity isn’t easy — and it’s easy to put off. People delay because they don’t want to think about mortality or pay legal fees. Others feel overwhelmed by the decisions involved.

But that delay can come at a steep cost.

We make it simple, affordable, and tailored to you.
Whether you need a will, a trust, or both — we help you:

Choose guardians for your children
Appoint someone to manage your estate
Ensure your wishes are clearly documented
Avoid unnecessary taxes, probate, and delay
Protect your legacy

No matter your age or income level, every adult needs a plan.
What follows is a summary of some of the documents we typically prepare as part of a comprehensive estate plan.

At Michael Tease Law PC, we typically prepare a suite of legal documents designed to protect your family, preserve your assets, and ensure your wishes are clearly honored. These include:

Last Will and Testament – Directs the distribution of your property and appoints a guardian for minor children.
Revocable Living Trust – Avoids probate, manages assets during incapacity, and controls distributions after death.
Pour-Over Will – Works in tandem with your trust to catch any assets not previously titled in the trust’s name.
Durable Power of Attorney – Appoints someone you trust to manage your financial affairs if you become incapacitated.
Healthcare Power of Attorney – Authorizes a loved one to make medical decisions on your behalf if you’re unable.
Living Will (Advance Directive) – Expresses your preferences regarding life-sustaining treatment.
HIPAA Authorization – Grants access to your medical information to those you’ve designated.
Final Disposition Instructions – Documents your wishes regarding burial, cremation, or other end-of-life arrangements.

Each estate plan is tailored to your unique situation, goals, and family structure. Whether you need basic documents or more advanced planning with trusts, our firm is here to guide you through every step.

What is a Will?

A will or testament is a legal document that states your final wishes and coordinates the distribution of your assets after death. A will is essential to bequeath (pass) property that you own in your name alone to someone else.

If you fail to write a will, your estate will be distributed under the Alabama “laws of intestacy.” The laws of intestacy are a sort of default distribution scheme that distributes your assets to your next of kin. Contrary to what some believe, the State doesn’t inherit your property; your next of kin do.

What is a Trust?

A trust is a legal agreement that spells out the rules that you want to be followed for property held in trust for your beneficiaries. There are many types of trusts, and they can be used for many purposes. Some standard terms are:

The person setting up the trust is the settlor
The property you put into the trust is known as trust property
The person in charge of the trust is known as the trustee
The persons receiving some or all the trust property are known as the beneficiaries
The rules the trust must follow to distribute the trust property are known as the trust agreement

Should my plan include a will, a trust, or both? The answer is: It depends. It depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If you aren’t sure what you are trying to accomplish, don’t worry. That is why we are here.

What is a Health Care Directive?

Health care directives are instructions to your doctors and health providers about what you want to happen if you can’t make the decision on your own because of illness or incapacitation.

What is a Health Care Proxy?

In Alabama, a Health Care Proxy, also known as Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, appoints someone you trust to make medical decisions for you if you become too sick to speak for yourself. The person you select is called a health care proxy.

What is a Living Will?

A Living Will lets you specify what type of end-of-life care you want when the time comes. The goal for this document is to make your intentions clear concerning end-of-life health care decisions.

Three Critical Legal Documents Every Parent of a College Student Should Get As Soon As Possible

When kids go to college, parents become preoccupied with housing, transportation, vetting roommates, enrollment, financing, moving all the furniture and personal belongings, just to name a few stressful things. What rarely occurs to parents, however, until some unfortunate incident, is that their college student is usually an adult child. And, without specific legal documents, parents cannot intervene on behalf of the adult child in the event the child is injured, ill or incapacitated while away at school.

1. HIPAA Authorization Form

Imagine, no matter how unpleasant, that your 19-year-old son or daughter while away at college many hours from you is involved in a severe car accident and is rushed to the hospital. When you find out about the accident, you immediately call the hospital to check on your child’s condition. To your horror, you hear the nurse say, “Sorry, but due to HIPPA laws, I can’t provide you with any information.”

HIPPA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, is a federal law that safeguards who can access an adult’s private health data. In the imaginary exercise above, the nurse is prohibited by Law from revealing information to you about your adult child and would face hefty fines and jail time if she violated HIPPA laws.

This situation illustrates why a HIPPA authorization, signed by your adult child and naming you as an authorized party, is critical.

2. Healthcare Power of Attorney (Healthcare Proxy)

Now imagine your 19-year-old son is unconscious in the hospital following the accident. If he signed the HIPAA Authorization Form, the Health Care provider could share information with you on your son’s health status. Yet, if your adult child has not also signed a Healthcare Power of Attorney naming you as his “healthcare proxy,” you will not be allowed to review his medical records or make informed medical decisions on his behalf. Your son’s diagnosis and treatment will be solely in the hands of the healthcare providers.

This situation illustrates why a medical power of attorney, signed by your son and naming you as the healthcare proxy, is critical.

3. General Durable Power of Attorney

A medical power of attorney form is only for health care choices should your son or daughter become incapacitated. A general durable power of attorney covers financial decisions.

This document allows a college student to give authority to another person (the parents) to make financial and legal decisions.