Estate Planning
Estate Planning and Family Legacy
Effective estate planning enables you to manage your affairs during your lifetime and control the distribution of your wealth after your passing. Estate planning isn’t an exclusive activity for the ultra-wealthy. Simply put, it is a plan for who will look after your children and what should happen to your assets, if something happens.
Why Estate Planning Is Important
If you wish to ensure that you are in control of what happens to your estate, and if you want to guarantee that your estate is handled in accordance with your directives, then having an Estate Plan is paramount. An effective estate strategy can spell out your ability to create more control over assets during life, direct your healthcare wishes, help provide care if you become disabled, allow for the transfer of your wealth to whom and when you want it given, and even minimize transfer taxes.
Without such a plan, the state, lawyers, or individuals that do not have your interests in mind could determine what happens to your Estate.
Individualized legal advice not provided. Please consult your legal advisor regarding your specific situation.
What We Can Do For You
Our Estate Planning service includes:
THE IMPORTANCE OF WILLS
Helping you understand the importance of a will: Your will should be the cornerstone of your estate plan. From a simple will to a Testamentary Will, or Joint Wills and Living Wills – we will help you navigate through the complexities, so you will not need to stress over what’s what!
Individualized legal advice not provided. Please consult your legal advisor regarding your specific situation.
THE IMPORTANCE OF APOWER OF ATTORNEY (POA)
Help you understand why you need a POA: Whether it’s to manage specific assets, like your investments, bank accounts or real estate holdings after your gone; or whether it’s meant to help others make health-care decisions in your best interest in case you are ill or incapacitated, you need to have a POA in place to ensure your wishes are followed.
Individualized legal advice not provided. Please consult your legal advisor regarding your specific situation.
THE IMPORTANCE OF ESTATE EXECUTORS
Help explain how Executors of your Estate wield strong powers that determine how your Estate is finally dealt with upon your passing. We will help you understand the importance of choosing an executor (s) for your Estate, and what criteria you should consider when appointing someone to discharge this all-important role – especially if minor children/guardians are involved.
Individualized legal advice not provided. Please consult your legal advisor regarding your specific situation.
BENEFICIARIES
Help you designate beneficiaries: If you do not choose beneficiaries for your assets carefully (or not at all!), your estate assets might well end up in the hands of individuals that you never intended to benefit.
NEEDS OF DEPENDENTS
Help you understand why you need to take into consideration your dependents' needs: A well-thought-out Estate Plan will ensure that all of the needs of your dependents (be they minors, adult children, siblings, persons with special needs or aging parents) are taken care of in accordance with your desires.
TAX PLANNING STRATEGIES
Help you understand that Tax planning needs to be a vital part of your planning considerations. Without a well-thought-out Estate Plan, a considerable part of your estate could erode through taxes, fees, and other levy’s, even before your designated beneficiaries see a cent!
Specific individualized tax advice not pro. We suggest that you discuss your specific tax issues with a qualified tax advisor.
