Wills, Trusts & Probate Attorney

One of the most overlooked areas of law is planning for death. If you are married, you probably assume that if something were to happen to you, then the shared assets would go to the other spouse which may or may not be the case. You can lessen the burden on those left behind and insure that your wishes are fulfilled with proper estate planning.

Our estate planning lawyers can help by preparing wills, trusts and other documents that govern your assets and specifying your wishes. Whether you are starting a family, growing a business, going through a divorce or approaching retirement, your estate plan needs to reflect your goals.

Clients often call us after they have gone through a life event and ask us, “Do I need to change my will?” The answer is – that depends. If you have gone through a divorce, you probably want to change your beneficiary and power of attorney designation. If you have started a business, you may need to think about succession planning and protection of your personal assets.

There are many types of documents that are a part of a comprehensive estate plan. Two such documents are:

A will or a trust. Which is better for you depends on your needs and your assets. If you have significant assets, a trust can help you minimize or avoid estate taxes. It can also enable you to avoid probate and pass property directly to your beneficiaries.

Powers of attorney. Health care and financial powers of attorney are documents that allow you to designate a trusted person to make decisions for you if you are incapacitated and unable to communicate for yourself. These documents can be used to avoid having a conservator appointed if your loved one becomes unable to handle his or her affairs

In addition to estate planning, our attorneys also handle probate issues which include will validation, inventorying the assets of the deceased and paying all debts, creditor claims and taxes of the deceased. Be prepared and talk to one of our estate planning lawyers today.