Estate planning isn’t one-size-fits-all. Every family has its own priorities, values, and goals for the future. That’s why our team takes a personalized approach, ensuring your plan reflects what matters most to you. With a focus on stewardship and long-term security, we help you create a legacy that honors your intentions and provides peace of mind for generations to come.
The skilled counselors who will be helping you
Trusts, Wills & Probate
A well-crafted estate plan ensures your wishes are honored and your loved ones are protected. By establishing a Living Trust, you can avoid the lengthy and costly probate process to ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes. A Will is still essential both for naming guardians for minor children and ensuring no property falls outside of the giving plan set forth in your trust.
Powers of Attorney / Incapacity
Life is full of uncertainties, and preparing for the unexpected is essential to protect your dignity and well-being. A durable Power of Attorney allows you to designate a trusted person to manage your financial and legal affairs if you become incapacitated, which studies show can last an average of three years later in life.
By appointing an agent, who can step forward to safeguard your interests, you avoid the emotional and financial strain of conservatorship proceedings, ensuring your values and wishes are respected. Let us help you create a plan that prioritizes care, responsibility, and peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
Advance Health Care Directives
The Advance Health Care Directive is a critical yet often overlooked part of an estate plan. While wills and trusts manage assets after death, this directive governs medical decisions during life, impacting treatment, comfort, and even end-of-life care. Many directives oversimplify choices, forcing a false dilemma between immediate life-ending measures or extreme life-prolonging efforts. Most people’s wishes fall somewhere in between, requiring thoughtful consideration of medical and ethical nuances.
A Faith-Based Perspective
Regardless of your faith tradition, whether Catholic, Protestant, or another belief system, your perspectives on medical ethics and end-of-life care are deeply important. Our Advance Health Care Directive Questionnaire is designed to reflect a wide range of values and concerns, offering nuanced choices that align with many faith-based principles. If your specific beliefs or considerations are not fully addressed, our attorneys will work closely with you (and, if desired, your spiritual advisor) to draft language that precisely captures your wishes, ensuring your directive honors your values and provides clarity for your medical care.
Estate Tax Planning
We also provide sophisticated tax planning services for estates large enough to be at risk of incurring federal estate tax. Our team has extensive experience in structuring estates in a tax-advantageous way, often through the creation of specialized trusts such as Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts (IDGTs), Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLATs), and more. These strategies are designed to help reduce the taxable amount of your estate, ensuring that your legacy is preserved for future generations.
Business Succession Planning
As a business owner, you’ve built something invaluable; not just in assets, but in hard work, relationships, and lasting impact. Business succession planning ensures that when the time comes, your legacy transitions smoothly to the right hands, whether that’s a family member, partner, or key employee. This process involves determining who will take over, how they will manage the business, and ensuring they have the resources to succeed. It’s a critical component of your estate plan, so we’ll help you develop a tailored strategy that addresses legal, financial, and logistical considerations, so your hard work continues to benefit those who matter most.
FAQs
The best time to contact us is now, regardless of your age or financial situation. Estate planning is not just for the wealthy or elderly. It’s for anyone who wants to protect their loved ones and ensure their wishes are honored. Even if you already have a plan, it’s a good idea to review it periodically or after significant changes in your life.
During the consultation, we’ll discuss your current situation and your goals, and explain the estate planning options available to you. There’s no obligation to proceed, and we’ll provide a clear outline of the process and costs if you decide to move forward.
No assembly needed! Our initial meeting is simply a discussion about your family and circumstances.
The timeline depends on the complexity of your estate and your goals. A basic will or power of attorney can often be completed within a few weeks. More complex plans, such as those involving trusts or business succession, may take several weeks to a few months. We’ll work with you to establish a timeline that meets your needs.