Tailoring a Will and Power of Attorney for Multiple States

If you own property -- whether houses, bank accounts, or vehicles -- in more than one state, do you need estate planning documents for each state? The answer is probably no, but you need to do some planning if you want to avoid going through probate in each of the states.

A lawyer can generally draft a will that is generic enough to be probated in any state except Louisiana, which has very specific rules. However, real property in another state is subject to probate in that state even if you don't live there. If you aren't careful, your estate may have to go through probate in every state you have property in.

To avoid multiple probate actions, you may want to use probate avoidance techniques for the property that is out of state. If your estate is under the estate tax limit and you don't have family complications, you may hold your property jointly with your spouse. Joint property will pass to your spouse without going through probate. If holding property jointly won't work, you can put your property into a revocable trust. Property in a revocable trust will pass to whoever is named in the trust. It does not come under the jurisdiction of the probate court and its distribution won't be held up by the probate process.

A power of attorney -- which allows a person you appoint to act in your place for financial purposes if you ever become incapacitated -- is an important estate planning document for anyone, including individuals with property in multiple states. One power of attorney should work in multiple states as long as it is written generally enough, but states may have different rules for what makes a valid power of attorney. State laws usually recognize a valid power of attorney created in another state, but you should check with an attorney in the state to make sure it will be recognized. Even if the power of attorney complies with state law, a bank may not accept it. You should let the bank know about your power of attorney and make sure there are no specific forms that the bank requires.

Contact your attorney to make sure your estate planning documents will work in multiple states.