Estate planning doesn’t have to be like the movies, where an individual on his or her deathbed might scratch out final wishes on a scrap of paper. Yet a surprising number of Americans continue to pass without having an estate plan in place.
Believe it or not, estate planning is for everyone and can be started at any stage in life. It’s also not just about money or transferring assets, either. Rather, an estate plan can be a way to provide for loved ones, pass on family values, and plan for medical emergencies like incapacity.
We approach estate planning by first learning about our clients’ family situations. A will might designate how to transfer personal items with sentimental value. There are types of trusts that can provide care to a disabled beneficiary or protect the trust principal from a beneficiary’s creditors. If an individual suffers a medical emergency and becomes incapacitated, an estate plan can designate individuals to make health and/or financial decisions. Our law firm is well versed in these and a complete array of estate planning options.
