Our Approach
”EFFECTIVE ESTATE PLANNING FOR EVERYDAY FAMILIES”
Often times people think of estate planning as something only people with a lot of wealth do. Regardless of whether you consider you and your estate big or small, it is important to have a plan in place that provides and protects your loved ones.
We are aware that some estate planning firms sell documents, but that’s just not how we work here. We need to understand you, your loved ones, your assets, and exactly what you are wanting to accomplish before we can even begin to talk about an appropriate estate plan for you. We will also discuss with you how much money can be protected in the event of an incapacity, and also any tax issues we see.
For some people, they are worried about losing their assets in the event there is an incapacity, and they will have no monies left to support their spouse or to pass onto their children. Some people are concerned about protecting their children’s inherited funds in the event their child goes through a divorce. Some may have a child who is struggling in life, and not the best at dealing with finances, and they want to establish a plan that provides and protects for them long term. Others may have a special needs beneficiary that needs to be protected from losing their government benefits. Perhaps you want to set up an educational fund for grandchildren or other beneficiaries. Or may be you are worried about who will make healthcare decisions for you and deal with your finances in the event you become incapacitated. Perhaps you have experienced the pitfalls of a failure to plan from a parent or grandparent and you want to make sure your own family doesn’t endure the same painful experience. Proper planning avoids the expenses, time delays and court involvement.
Once we understand what is important to you, then our team will specifically develop and implement an estate plan that meets your specific concerns and goals. We will then prepare all the legal documents needed in order to do so.
Having an effective estate plan in place also requires making sure all your assets fall under the umbrella of your estate plan. Our team will help ensure this properly happens by coordinating the ownership of your assets, including real estate, bank accounts, and business interests, as well as making sure the beneficiary designations of your retirement plans, life insurance, and other accounts are set up appropriately.
We take the team approach if you are working with a financial planner. With your permission we will reach out to your planner to discuss the plan we are putting in place for you. By doing so, we can ensure that all of your assets are protected, and you have a team in place to provide you with peace of mind about your financial world as well as your legal world.
Having an effective estate plan in place will provide you with a feeling of serenity, knowing your family will be taken care in the event of your disability or death. We understand that discussing these topics can be difficult, and want you to have a sense of comfort with the plan you have put in place. It is our policy that we do not charge for phone calls once you become a client, as we want you to have the ability to call anytime and get advice or answers to your questions addressed immediately.