For families with young children, estate planning is about a whole lot more than just who gets your stuff when you're gone.

• If you are gone, who will take care of your kids? Who will be responsible for their finances? Should it be the same person? How do you communicate your wishes for their care to these people?

• When should your kids receive their inheritance? Outright at 18 is not always the best option! 

• In the event of a re-marriage for one parent (after divorce or the death of a spouse), what access should the new spouse have to your kids' inheritance?

• How should real property be passed to kids? Joint ownership can be trouble!

• Do your kids have any physical or cognitive special needs that need to be considered? What if they don't now, but do later?

These decisions can be overwhelming, and every family's situation is unique. We keep our process simple and clear to make sure you have confidence in the important decisions you're making for your family. 

Retirement is an exciting time and full of changes. You've worked hard to get to this season, so protect the life you've built with an estate plan that addresses your needs.

• Giving to kids, grandkids, charities, organizations after you've gone.
• Protecting what you've earned from the high (and rising!) costs of assisted living and long-term care.
• Avoiding or reducing tax burdens associated with giving real property, qualified money (like retirement accounts), and other valuable assets.

We understand that every person's retirement situation is unique. We'll get to know you and your priorities personally, so that together we can make an estate plan you understand and feel confident about. 

Going to the chapel? Stop by your estate planning office on the way. Some things we'll cover with you are:

• Making sure your spouse has the authority they need to make medical and/or financial decisions for you if you can't make them on your own.
• Reducing tax burdens when leaving life insurance funds or retirement accounts to your spouse.
• Who do you want (or not want!) to get your beloved baseball card collection? How about your car? Your house? Your cat? 
• Brady Bunch situations (kids from previous relationships) open a whole new set of questions. How and when are inheritances distributed? Does everything go in "one pot" or different rules for different people? 

Every couple is different, and a personalized estate plan can give you confidence and control of these important decisions.

The day your child turns 18, they are legally an adult, but that doesn't mean they suddenly don't need or want your help and guidance in their life.  However, without access to their financial, medical, and personal information supporting your child may be difficult. Fortunately,  you can regain this access with a few simple documents.

• A Financial Power of Attorney gives you permission to make decisions on financial matters, pay bills, make investments, etc. on your child's behalf.
• A Medical Power of Attorney makes sure that you can make medical decisions for your child if they're not able to make their own. 
• A HIPAA Authorization gives medical professionals permission to speak with you about your child's health and the care they receive.

The transition from child to adult certainly doesn't happen overnight, so make an appointment today to put the tools in place you need to keep supporting your kids as they enter adulthood. 

You may think as a single adult that you don't have much need for an estate plan. This is not the case! A great estate plan will cover a lot of bases for you:

• Who would you want to make your healthcare decisions for you if you couldn't? Are there any specific wishes you'd want them to know?
• Who would you want to manage your financial life if you couldn't do it yourself? Pay your bills? Invest your assets?
• When you die, who gets your money? House? Car? Pets?

These are the decisions you want to make for yourself, and doing that today with a great estate plan makes sure you retain control of your life and estate no matter what the future may hold.

Going through a divorce can turn your world upside down. Putting a strong estate plan in place helps you regain control of your assets and future. Some things we'll consider:

• Who should make your medical and financial decisions if you can't make them for yourself?
• Do any of your assets have your ex-spouse as a beneficiary? Are there assets you want to make sure an ex-spouse cannot access?
• If you have children, how and when should they receive an inheritance, and what control (if any!) should your ex-spouse have over it?

These are decisions you want to make for yourself, and a strong, personal estate plan makes sure your wishes are clearly communicated and can be easily carried out. 

Whether losing a spouse, a sibling, or a friend, life can change dramatically change after losing someone you love. Making an estate plan, or updating your current plan, after the death of a loved one is a wise step. Some things we'll consider:

• Have you inherited anything? Life insurance payout, retirement accounts, business interests, property, etc. What should happen with these assets?
• Was this person your medical or financial power of attorney? Trustee or executor? Beneficiary of any of your assets? Who do you want to fill those roles now?
• Does this person have a will to be executed or a trust to be administered? Does their estate need to go to probate? Are you not sure about any of these options? We can help.

Planning ahead after losing someone can be painful and difficult. We have walked through this season with many clients, and make it as easy as possible to regain some confidence and control through a personal estate plan. 

A diagnosis for you or a loved one of Alzheimer's, dementia, Parkinson's, or something similar can be devastating. How is life going to change? How do we prepare for the unpredictable future? Unfortunately, many people wait to discuss their legal options until it's too late. Without the proper tools in place, you face court proceedings for a guardianship or conservatorship, which can be lengthy and costly.

That's why we make it as easy as possible to put in place crucial legal tools that help regain some control and certainty about what's ahead. Specialized planning can help alleviate the burden on caregivers, family, and the person dealing with the diagnosis. The earlier you have these conversations the better. Take the easy first step and call for a free conversation with our team today.