The time is now:

Protect Your Family With An Estate Plan

For most people, estate planning isn’t fun. It requires you to think about, in great detail, a lot of worst-case scenarios that we’d prefer not to think about. But planning ahead ensures that, if any of those worst-cases were to occur, your family would be taken care of. And what’s more, that your wishes are carried out. Creating an estate plan ensures you make the important decisions, versus a probate judge, or the wrong person.

What is an estate plan?

An estate plan can vary by person, but in general, it includes:

A will
Trust(s)
Durable power of attorney
Healthcare directive
Beneficiary designations
Guardianship designations

It’s important to create an estate plan that’s supervised by an estate planning attorney who understands the laws in your state and common pitfalls and loopholes.

A will is a legal guide for what you want to happen to your possessions when you die. One of the most important parts of a will is who you name executor. This person becomes responsible for carrying out the wishes outlined in your will. If you don’t name an executor, this person is selected by a judge — it’s usually your closest living relative.

What happens when you die …

WITHOUT A WILL

You die intestate. This is a fancy way of saying the courts decide what happens to your assets and your kids. The process is called probate, and it can sometimes costs thousands of dollars

WITH A WILL

You go through probate, where a court validates everything. The information in your will becomes public record, and the process often costs money.

WITH A TRUST

The trust bypasses probate: Your information stays private, and the courts stay out of it.

This is the main reason we advocate for estate planning.
It’s the best way to ensure your plans work out.

Build an estate plan with us

We work with various estate planners to build you a personalized plan that includes:

WILL

A legal document instructing what to do with your assets when you die.

TRUST

You (the trustor) create a trust to hold your assets for a third party (beneficiary). These assets are under the care of a trustee.

CERTIFICATION OF TRUST

Certifies that a trust exists and that the trustee has the right to act on behalf of the trust.

GENERAL TRANSFER

Transfers assets held outside of the trust into it without transferring everything individually.

PROPERTY AGREEMENT (IF NEEDED)

Helps distinguish community property from individual property; this can be particularly relevant to married couples in certain states.

FINANCIAL POWER OF ATTORNEY

Gives someone (a trusted agent) authority to legally act on your behalf for financial matters.

MEDICAL POWER OF ATTORNEY/ ADVANCED HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE

Gives someone the authority to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are incapacitated or too ill to make your own decisions.

HIPAA RELEASE

Grants specified people the ability to access your health records.

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