Estate Planning

Planning for your estate includes advice about providing for your family, loved ones, and yourself and the documents to express your intentions. To begin the process, start with the Estate Planning worksheet under Client Worksheets & Resources. Contact us to discuss the following options for planning for peace of mind for you and your family.

Wills

A will allows you to direct who receives your assets after your death and to name a person you want to administer your estate as personal representative. If you have children who may need a guardian, you can nominate a guardian for them in your will too.

Trusts

A trust is a legal arrangement, often beginning during your lifetime, where you as the one creating the trust (often called a Settlor or Grantor) give property to a Trustee to be used for the benefit of another person (the Beneficiary). A trust can exist during your lifetime or can go into effect after your death. Depending on your goals and circumstances, we can craft a trust to provide for you and those you care about now and in the future.

Durable Powers of Attorney for Finances and Property

A durable power of attorney for finances authorizes another person to deal with your property and assets on your behalf, even if you become incapacitated. A power of attorney for finances is a powerful tool. We carefully evaluate your finances and personal circumstances to customize a document to achieve your individual goals.

Health Care Directives

Health care directives are important to give doctors, medical staff, and loved ones directions regarding your wishes and to designate a substitute decision maker. Health care directives include health care powers of attorney to designate someone to speak for you when you cannot, a living will to address certain end-of-life decisions, and HIPAA releases to allow those you designate to access information from your health care providers.

Marital Property Agreements

A marital property agreement can classify and clarify how you and your spouse own and manage your property, whether owned jointly or individually. A marital property agreement can address how assets are managed and controlled while you are living, how assets are treated at divorce, and how assets may be transferred or divided at death.

Beneficiary Designations

You probably have assets, such as life insurance or retirement accounts, that will be distributed at your death according to a beneficiary designation. Beneficiary designations are independent of your will or trust, and so need to be coordinated with your overall estate plan to achieve your wishes. We can advise you regarding the best estate planning, asset protection, and tax planning with beneficiary designations as part of your comprehensive estate plan.