What is Estate Planning?
Estate planning is the process of determining WHO will receive your property and assets after your death and WHEN and HOW the transfer will occur. This “distribution” takes into account all kinds of factors, including, but not necessarily limited to: age of the beneficiary; is the beneficiary able to handle money?; is the beneficiary’s marriage sound?; is the beneficiary disabled?; do we need to try and protect your beneficiary from their own creditors?
Estate planning is also a matter of providing for yourself and your loved ones should you become disabled. Who is going to determine when you are “disabled”? Who will make financial decisions for you if you cannot handle your property and financial affairs? Who will make your health care decisions? Who has access to your protected medical records and information?
Ultimately, sound estate planning is about planning for your family’s future. Sixty-percent of Americans are not engaging in any type of estate planning process, and we recognize the need to educate people about their estate planning options. Our job is to teach you about the law; your job is to teach us about your family and your assets.
Together, we will create and implement an estate plan that protects and provides for you and your family. Smart estate planning must be flexible to account for life’s changes whether the changes are personal, such as the ability to change or add beneficiaries, or prompted by external circumstances, such as changes in the law.
Lastly, estate planning should be conducted with an eye towards minimizing or eliminating the costs of tax and probate. In the end, our process for sound estate planning is concerned with minimizing these expenses while endeavoring to settle the estate as quickly as possible while maintaining your family’s privacy.