Estate Planning is a very broad term that encompasses all types of planning, as well as many various viewpoints over the decades.

At one time, a typical estate plan for a married couple meant having a simple and cheap “I Love you” Will, leaving everything to the other spouse. That will would go through probate and, on the death of the 2nd spouse, the process would be repeated, but this time the assets would go towards the children equally. These types of wills are still drawn up, but they are appropriate for far fewer people as our world has become more complex.

The other type of estate plan used to be the ones that the really wealthy people drafted, with lots of expensive lawyers, in big law firms, where the primary goal was to avoid estate taxes. Again, there are some people that still plan solely or mostly to avoid estate taxes, but they are also becoming far fewer.

Today, people with smaller estates recognize the value of leaving money to their family in the form of trusts, and the laws have changed so that it can be done in a very affordable fashion. Wealthier families (or at least many of them) have realized there is more to life than taxes, and have begun planning for their families’ future well being. The laws have made planning for future generations much simpler, and our litigious world has increased awareness of the importance of asset protection so that the money left to the beneficiary stays with the beneficiary.

The increasement of wealth, desire for privacy, non-traditional families, and personal lifestyles have all had a significant impact on the estate plans drafted by attorneys. Options have broadened for how families can accomplish their goals, which has made the estate planning process a lot more interesting and satisfying between the attorney-family relationship. 

Are you thinking about the future of your family? You might be wondering if you need an estate plan – or you may already have one and be wondering if it’s still good.

Estate plans are like antivirus software; they need updating from time to time in order to stay relevant and in good working order. If your plan is more than five years old, there’s a good chance it’s outdated and deserves a fresh look.

You might need a new plan if your family has changed, your finances have changed, or if the laws have changed since it was written. Our mission is to help you develop a better understanding of using a Last Will and Testament as the basis for your estate plan. We hope to further more effective conversations between your family and your attorney as you think about preparing a new estate plan, or updating a previously written plan.

Estate planning may seem overwhelming, or even daunting, but we will make every effort to guide you through our process and educate you as we go. We will talk about your family, explore your financial status, your retirement plans, your charitable desires, your health, any disability planning you have in place, etc.

We have found that the best relationship between attorneys and clients are when the clients open up to the attorneys, tell the attorneys all the facts, so that the attorney can sift out what is relevant, and what must be addressed so that, in the end, the client’s goals are completely met.