Estate Planning
Making Estate Planning an Essential Step in Your Life
Estate planning is vitally important whether you possess a significant amount of assets or have an average size estate. You should possess at least a basic will, power of attorney and health care directive in order to provide you and your family with peace of mind. Our estate planning attorneys will help you map out where you want to be in the future. Additionally, if your estate is comprised of significant or diverse assets, we will help you establish an estate plan tailored to your particular needs.
Late Life Planning
Comprehensive Estate Planning Services
We help you protect your assets, provide for your loved ones, and ensure your wishes are honored. From basic wills to complex trusts and estate administration, our experienced attorney guides you through every aspect of estate planning and probate.
Wills & Basic Estate Documents
A will is a legal document that expresses a person's wishes as to how they would like his or her property handled upon death. It designates a person who is in charge of managing the estate until the final distribution.
Power of Attorney
This is a legal document is a written authorization for another person to represent or act on your behalf in legal matters.
Health Care Directives
A health care directive is a legal document in which a person specifies what actions should be taken for their health if they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves because of illness or incapacitation.
Trusts & Advanced Planning
A relationship whereby property is held by one party for the benefit of another. A trust is created by a settlor, who transfers property to a trustee. The trustee holds that property for the trust's beneficiaries.
Estate & Trust Administration
Proper trust or estate administration involves collecting assets, ensuring that all necessary income and estate taxes are filed, and providing comprehensive accountings to estate and trust beneficiaries.
Estate Litigation & Disputes
From voided wills to looted estates, from accounting disputes to disagreements over the sale of assets, an estate litigation attorney can represent either the estate itself or beneficiaries in the event of a contested will, contested trust and/or allegations of wrongdoing.
Guardianship
This is a legal process appointing a 'competent adult' (guardian) to be responsible for the care, custody and control for a 'vulnerable or incapacitated person' often referred to as a (ward).
Conservatorship
Conservatorship is a legal concept in the United States of America. A guardian or a protector is appointed by a judge to manage the financial affairs and/or daily life of another due to physical or mental limitations, or old age.
Our Estate Planning Process
We guide you through every step of creating and implementing a comprehensive estate plan that protects your family and honors your wishes.
Step 1: Initial Consultation
We start with a consultation to understand your family situation, assets, and goals so we can recommend an appropriate plan.
Step 2: Plan Drafting
We prepare the necessary documents (wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives) tailored to your goals.
Step 3: Execution & Funding
We assist with signing, notarization, and transferring assets into trusts (funding) to ensure the plan works as intended.
Step 4: Administration & Support
If needed, we provide probate administration, trust administration, or litigation support to carry out or defend the plan.
Have a legal situation you'd like to talk with us about?
Have a legal situation you'd like to talk with us about?
Estate Planning On Our Blog
A will is a legal document that expresses your wishes for how your property should be distributed at your death. It names an executor to manage the estate and can help avoid confusion and protect your loved ones. Even individuals with modest assets benefit from a basic will, durable power of attorney, and health care directive to provide clear instructions.
Trusts hold property for the benefit of beneficiaries and can avoid probate when properly funded. They can provide greater control over distributions, help with asset protection, and may reduce estate administration complexity for certain estates.
A power of attorney is a written authorization allowing another person to act on your behalf for financial or legal matters. You should have a durable power of attorney in place before incapacity to ensure someone can manage bills, banking, and legal affairs if you are unable to do so.