Estate Planning

When we create an estate plan, we look at not only how our client's assets will be transferred after his or her death, but also how his affairs will be managed if he becomes incapacitated. Because every individual's needs are different, the work we do includes understanding thoroughly our clients' unique situation. For this reason, we emphasize that simple, "one size fits all" wills, while easy to understand and prepare may not be appropriate.

A will cannot be properly prepared without understanding the financial background of the the person executing the will. An estate may be subject to the Federal Estate Tax, and wills can be prepared with clauses inserted that can delay the payment of taxes. There may be other estate planning techniques exist to minimize taxes, and we address and discuss these.

We consider if a spouse is receiving nursing care, if  young children are beneficiaries, if an individual has a disabled child, if a married individual has children from a prior marriage, and many other special circumstances that should be anticipated.

We assist clients with a variety of planning techniques including trusts of various kinds as well as living wills, powers of attorney, and other similar instruments.