Estate Planning
If you wish to leave behind a meaningful legacy, be it for loved ones or a charitable institution, you need to put a well-thought-out estate plan in place. Without an established plan, the fate of your estate could be determined by the government, lawyers, or people that don’t have your interests and best wishes in mind.
Having an estate plan is paramount in ensuring your estate is handled according to your wishes. Together with your estate planning attorney, we can assist in drafting documents and reviewing your situation so your estate benefits the people and charities you care about most.
What We Can Do For You
- Will education: We can help you understand how to structure your will so your legal team can create a document that reflects how you want your estate disposed of and distributed. From a simple will to a testamentary will, or joint wills and living wills – our team will help you navigate the complexities of this document so you won’t need to stress over specifics.
- Creating Powers of Attorney (POA): Whether it’s to manage specific assets, such as investments, accounts, and real estate holdings, or to help others make health care decisions if you are ill or incapacitated, you need a POA in place to ensure your wishes are followed. A well-crafted POA will also help to remove disagreements about your final arrangements, and how issues related to your estate are taken care of once you pass.
- Choosing executors: The executors of your estate wield strong powers that determine how your estate is handled upon your passing. We’ll help you understand the importance of choosing an executor(s) for your estate, and what criteria you should consider when appointing someone to be in charge of this all-important role – especially if minor children/guardians are involved.
- Establishing Accounts: So, you have gone through the hard work of hiring an expert attorney and creating a plan that meets your wishes. It’s crucial to ensure that there is a link between the attorney’s plan and your accounts. We will not only create accounts that match the requirements of your estate plan, we follow up with you and your legal team to ensure all parties involved are satisfied.
- Designating beneficiaries: If you don’t choose beneficiaries for your assets carefully, your estate's assets might end up in the hands of individuals that you never intended. A well-thought-out estate plan ensures the needs of your loved ones are taken care of and considers the ramifications of your decisions.
- Minimizing estate taxes and probate fees: Taxes, fees, and other levies have the potential to erode a large portion of your estate before your beneficiaries gain access to the inheritance. Careful planning can reduce the impact that taxes and fees might have.
- Estate protection: Even after you pass, many of your assets – such as long-term investments and property – will likely need protection and management until they are disposed of and their proceeds are distributed to your beneficiaries. In the absence of an estate plan, your assets will likely not receive the type and level of protection those assets require.
- Distribute your legacy: Our professionals can support you in synchronizing your estate plans and your will, so your assets are distributed in line with your final wishes.
Schedule a meeting with us to see what an estate plan can do for you.
Our firm does not provide legal advice or services. Please consult your legal advisor or an estate planning attorney regarding your specific situation.
