Wills and Estates

Estate Planning should be a consideration for all individuals regardless of age. A conference with our team will allow us to determine your needs as wells as your goals and objectives. Planning for your family members and loved ones will allow protection of your assets, as well as the peace of mind, knowing you have planned well.

We work closely with our client’s financial team which includes their accountant, financial advisor, and life insurance agent.

There are five documents we recommend for thorough and efficient planning:

• Last Will and Testament – This document allows for the distribution of a person’s assets
• Durable Power of Attorney – This document appoints an agent to act on his or her behalf in financial situations.
• Health Care Power of Attorney – This document appoints an agent to act on his or her behalf in medical situations.
• Special Medical Power of Attorney and Release Substantiating the HIPAA Compliance – This document allows for the access to medical records during the life of the person granting the Special Medical Power of Attorney
• Advanced Directive for a Natural Death “Living Will” – This document gives instruction for the future if you want your health care providers to withhold or withdraw life-prolonging measures in certain situations.

Probate is a court-supervised legal process that gives someone, usually the surviving spouse or another close family member, authority to gather the deceased person’s assets, pay debts and taxes, and eventually transfer assets to the people who inherit them.

With proper estate planning the probate/administration of a person’s estate is simplified and adverse tax consequence can be minimized. We can assist you to meet your goals and make the transition of your assets as worry free as possible.

Guardianships/Incompetency is a process where the court determines that an individual is incapacitated or developmentally disabled and incapable of making decisions regarding their basic needs. Once the incompetency issue is determined an accounting of the assets of the incompetent is required on an annual basis.

Adoptions – We also work with our clients for planning, execution, and representation throughout the adoption process.