Comprehensive Estate Planning

Engage me to help you develop an effective and efficient estate plan so that your legacy will be well preserved and distributed according to your wishes.

Estate planning is about how you want your money and assets—regardless of the value—distributed after your death. It is about making sure that the people and causes you care about receive what you want to give them.

If you have young or disabled children or elderly parents who rely on you financially, estate planning is crucially important. A thorough plan could help ensure that your family’s needs are provided for.

I help you work out:

• What you’re worth
• Who gets what after your death
• Who do you want as your children’s guardian
• How do you want your assets managed
• Who to trust to carry out your estate plan

A thorough estate planning is important, it benefits you and your survivors because: 

• Estate planning goes beyond a will
  Many people think of a will and an estate plan as the same thing. They’re not. Both will and estate plans provide instructions for how your goods and assets should be handled after your death, but estate planning encompasses much more. It can also include:

1. Durable powers of attorney to appoint individuals to make medical and/or financial decisions on your behalf you’re unable to provide instructions yourself
2. Beneficiary designations to explain who should receive money from life insurance policies, annuities, retirement accounts, and other financial accounts
3. One or more trusts to facilitate passing property to your heirs and potentially provide tax benefits for both you and your beneficiaries

• Estate planning saves time and money
  When you die without a will, this means you have died “intestate,” and the laws of the country where you live and own property determines what happens to your assets and who gives them away. The probate court will name a representative to distribute your assets. Your assets will be frozen until the court system combs through every detail of your estate, applies state laws, pays off debts, and makes decisions about how to allocate your assets. The probate process takes months and even years, given the legal bills, it can end up being quite costly for surviving family members.

  You can significantly reduce the time and expense of dying intestate by estate planning by creating a will that names an executor of your estate

• Estate planning protects children
  If you die without a surviving spouse to take care of your children and other dependents, who will get custody of them?
  Without an estate plan, the probate court will appoint a legal guardian for them — typically, a family member, such as a grandparent, as the guardian. Alternatively, a third party, such as a family friend, can petition the court to be appointed as the guardian. If a minor child has no surviving family members and a third party doesn’t step forward, the child could become a ward of the state and enter the foster care system.
  If you want a say in deciding who will care for your child in the event of your death, you need to identify that person in your will. It’s also a good idea to name an alternate guardian just in case something happens to your first choice.
• Estate planning takes care of you
  Estate planning doesn’t just come in handy once you’re dead.
  It can also include a lasting power of attorney that ensures your wishes will be carried out if you’re temporarily or permanently incapable of handling them

  A lasting power of attorney appoints a trusted relative or friend to manage your legal and financial affairs if you can’t manage them independently. A healthcare proxy gives someone permission to make healthcare decisions for you if you can’t communicate them yourself.

  Without these directives, also known as a “living will,” it could get complicated determining who among your loved ones is in charge and is legally allowed to take action. In the worst-case scenario, someone the court appoints or a hospital staffer unfamiliar with your wishes may wind up making decisions for you.