Your estate is comprised of everything you own: your home, car, bank accounts, investments, life insurance, furniture, personal possessions, and more. No matter how modest or large, everyone can benefit from estate planning to control how these things are given to the people or charities you care the most about upon your passing.
Either we can help evaluate your current plan or help design a comprehensive estate plan that best fit your needs and goals.
Creating a plan in advance to control your estate is important – but can fail if you do not have proper documents in place. Certain documents are crucial during your lifetime to provide decisions should you become incapacitated. Other documents ensure that your final wishes are carried out – and most likely you would like this to happen with the least amount paid in taxes, legal fees, and court costs.
Some of the most common estate planning solutions we prepare are:
Revocable Living Trust
A revocable living trust creates an entity to manage an estate. This allows the creator (trustor) to keep control of the assets in the trust while they are alive and decide the proper distribution of assets upon their death.
Every trust is unique and can be setup to accomplish different objectives. Different types of trusts can help avoid probate, reduce estate taxes, maintain privacy of your estate, or establish long-term property management.
Last Will & Testament
A Last Will & Testament is a document that provides all of the essential details of who will inherit your assets, when and how they will inherit it, and who is in charge of settling your affairs. Additionally if you have minor children, this will also cover who will serve as a guardian to your children until they become adults.
Power of Attorney
A Power-of-Attorney is a document that allows you to appoint an individual or organization as agent to handle your financial, healthcare, and mental healthcare affairs should you be incapacitated or unable to do so.
Living Will
A Living Will communicates your wishes regarding life prolonging medical treatments. This document is important, as it informs your family and health care providers about such medical treatments in the event you are unable to speak for yourself.