Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts
To ensure that your assets are protected now, and continue to be protected and distributed in accordance with your wishes after your passing, my office can help you with:
Last Wills and Testaments
This is the traditional approach that many have used to ensure an orderly distribution of their estate.
Simplified Estate Administration
State law permits small estates to be administered informally, either with limited court oversight or without the need for a court to approve the appointment of a personal representative. We can offer guidance to persons who find themselves needing to administer a small estate.
Living Trusts with Pour-Over Wills
A revocable living trust with a pour-over will is an arrangement that avoids the need to administer your estate through the state law probate process, while still giving you complete control over your assets during your lifetime. This approach is used by those who wish to avoid the probate process, often for reasons of time or privacy, as the administration of a living trust does not require filing documents with the court so that they are made public, such as is required with a will.
An important part of any estate plan is to prepare documents appointing trusted individuals to have the authority to make financial and healthcare decisions on your behalf in the event that you are unable to do so, and to set forth the guidelines under which you wish those individuals to act, as well to inform healthcare providers of your personal preferences for critical or end-of-life care.
Pre-nuptial and Post-nuptial Agreements
A detailed agreement can help avoid disputes and legal actions at a later date by clearly setting forth how you and your partner each wish to dispose of your assets in the event of a death or the dissolution of the relationship.
Business Succession Planning / Business Exit Planning
We can assist the business owner to think about and develop a plan to put into action at the point that he or she wishes to sell or otherwise dispose of the business, either voluntarily or due to disability or death.