WHO WE HELP
We know you love your family deeply. You want to pass on what you have worked tirelessly for your entire life and you want to do it in a way that feels effortless and full of ease. You understand that your wealth is not measured solely by the dollars in the bank, but by the overall well-being and happiness of the people you love most in this world.
Family People
Your care for loved ones is paramount, and ensuring their ease in times of difficulty is a priority. Yet, the overwhelming complexity of finances and family ties can clog our probate courts, resulting in $58 billion in unclaimed assets in the United States. Professional estate planning can safeguard the interests of individuals and families with those they hold dear and value.
Blended Families
Inevitably, conflicts may arise among your spouse and children following your passing, no matter how close and amicable they seem. However, these conflicts can be minimized with careful planning. By taking proactive steps, you can ensure your loved ones work together in harmony in times of grief. Remember, this requires deliberate effort and forethought.
Life Partners
Proper estate planning is crucial, especially for unmarried couples. Unfortunately, the law does not provide any protection for your life partner. It is your responsibility to take action and ensure that you have access to your loved one's bedside during emergencies. If you fail to act, your partner could be prevented from making important healthcare decisions for you. This includes deciding your nutrition and who is allowed to visit you. Without measures in place, you leave everything up to chance. Opt for estate planning to protect your union and make informed choices.
Married with Children
Proper estate planning may seem simple enough when you're married with children - ensure your assets go to your spouse, and then to your children. However, a multitude of factors must be considered to prevent potential disputes and legal entanglements in the event of your incapacity or death. Even minor oversights can lead to your assets being claimed by the state's department of unclaimed property. Hiring a professional to address these concerns can give you peace of mind and ensure your family's stability.
Single Parents
In the event that your children are still minors and there's an unforeseen circumstance, it is vital to designate a guardian and plan for their care. Although it may seem ideal for your child's other parent to assume custody, it might not always be feasible or preferred. Additionally, it's worth considering appointing someone else to manage any financial resources you leave behind, as opposed to relying solely on your ex-spouse or partner. To safeguard your wishes, take the necessary legal measures to document your guardianship and care plan.
Chosen Families
Estate planning enables you to protect the people and possessions that matter to you, regardless of who your chosen family may be. It allows you to pass on your hard-earned assets in a manner that conveys your love precisely when your loved ones need it most. Moreover, estate planning enables you to control who inherits your assets. Additionally, when you are unable to make healthcare decisions for yourself, estate planning ensures that your chosen family can care for you and serve your needs. Let estate planning simplify all of these tasks for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your Last Will is a legal document through which you distribute some of your assets upon death. Other assets will be distributed not based on your Last Will but on your beneficiary designations, depending on the situation. Over two-thirds of the U.S. adult population does not have a last will, and for those who do, most Last Wills do not fully cover their situation. Upon death, the only want to make a Last Will valid is to file it in the probate court, a public and normally lengthy process that delays your family access to what you have left behind.
A successful outcome in estate planning requires the guidance of a professional lawyer who deals with estate planning on a daily basis. You have devoted your entire life to creating what you have today. Unfortunately, following the death of a loved one, some families are left with nothing because they didn’t plan at all, or used an online platform that was unaware of their family or situation and was of no use to them when they needed it the most. We encourage the development of long-term relationships between you and your estate planning attorney so that you can rest assured that your family will have legal assistance even when you are unable to provide it.
Our estate planning fees are designed on a flat-fee basis to provide complete transparency with our clients. We understand cost is a sensitive topic, which is why we cannot quote fees online or over the phone. However, we invite you to attend our upcoming educational events where we cover our unique meeting process and fee schedule. This ensures you have all the information you need to make the best decision for you and your family.
A Trust can function as a replacement for a Will. A Revocable Living Trust, like a Last Will, distributes your assets after death. The advantage of a Trust is that it doesn’t need to be filed with the probate court to be enforced. In contrast, a Last Will must be filed with the probate court to have any legal effect. A Trust is a confidential document that relates to your personal matters, whereas a Last Will becomes a public document once you die, regardless of how reserved you were during your lifetime. Aside from that, there are many other Trusts that perform various roles, and the appropriate overall estate plan for each family’s unique situation must be customised, which could involve one or more Trusts.
Through our comprehensive life and legacy planning process, we prioritize capturing and transferring your important intangible assets such as values, insights, stories, and experiences in addition to transferring your financial assets and personal belongings. Estate planning is crucial for everyone, regardless of their financial status, as everyone has an estate as valuable as anything in the world that needs to be protected. After your departure, your loved ones will cherish your words of advice and concern and coming across a letter or voicemail from you will be a great gift. Let us help you give your loved ones the most precious gift of all – a lasting expression of your love.
It is recommended to have your out-of-state estate plan reviewed by a local Personal Family Lawyer to ensure compliance with any state law differences, regardless of your physical location within the United States.