Estate Planning

Smart estate planning is key to keeping your hard-earned wealth in your family's hands--NOT Uncle Sam's--when you pass. Yet, not all estate planning concerns estate taxes, nor do you have to be wealthy to benefit from estate planning.

In its simplest terms, estate planning is a process that involves getting your hard-earned assets to those persons and in such a way that fulfills your wishes.

Many people shy away from estate planning because they do not want to contemplate their own mortality. Many of my clients wait until an illness or death hits close to home before doing their own estate planning. When the process is complete, they express a profound sense of relief and well-being.

Like it or not, all of us will pass away one day. It is a disservice to your family to leave your affairs in a state of chaos. Uncertainty often engenders hurt feelings and creates a tremendous amount of work locating assets. Most estate litigation can be avoided with careful planning and open dialogue with family members. Estate planning will not prevent a disgruntled heir from challenging your will in court, but will make the challenge that much more difficult.

The estate planning process is an interactive process between client and lawyer. The lawyer asks probing questions and puts together a plan that will carry out the client's wishes across a number of unknown contingencies. The estate plan is dynamic and will necessarily change over time as your circumstances change.