The Legacy You Leave IS Your Loved Ones’ Future
Estate planning is far more than just setting up a Last Will and Testament, though that is often an excellent place to begin. A real estate plan will cover a wide range of topics to help ensure your estate is in proper order. One of the biggest misunderstandings of this type of law is that people assume it is simply preparing one’s estate for their eventual death. While that is a part of the process, a good estate plan will also help to position an estate properly so that it can support you throughout your retirement.
We offer comprehensive estate planning services for people of all ages. Our estate planning can include options such as:
- Wills – A Last Will and Testament, or a Will for short, is an excellent first step in estate planning. We can help you determine what needs to go in your Will, and make sure it is properly written to avoid problems with execution of the Will.
- Post Death Credit Shelter (Credit Protection Trusts) – Placing certain assets into a credit protection trust can help ensure your creditors don’t have access to it upon your death. This is an excellent way to ensure you are able to leave certain things to your loved ones.
- Powers of Attorney – Preparing for a time when you may not be able to make financial or medical decisions on your own is very important. Granting someone powers of attorney is a big decision, but it can offer a lot of protections and benefits in many situations.
- Lifetime Credit Shelter Trusts – Setting up this type of trust can help you to retain control over your assets, while still minimizing the amount of taxes your loved ones will have to pay upon your death. This can also be an excellent way to provide protection for your spouse.
- Revocable Trusts – Revocable trusts, also known as living trusts, are an important part of many estate plans. They can be altered or eliminated at any time, and can protect your assets in ways that most other estate vehicles cannot. Revocable trusts also make it much easier and less expensive on your heirs to get the assets after your passing.
- Other Trusts – There are many other trust options available depending on your situation. Gun Trusts, for example, can help you to protect your firearms today, and pass them on without legal issues when the time comes. Charitable Trusts let you set aside some money for your favorite charity so you can maintain control of it while you’re alive and even direct how it is used after you’re gone.
As you can see, estate planning can be a fairly complex process. When you have a good attorney who has years of experience in this area, however, it won’t be overwhelming. We will sit with you, talk about your options, and help ensure you really understand everything before any action is taken. If you’re interested in learning more about estate planning, please contact us to set up a consultation.
