Your estate is all the property that you own. It includes items such as your home, car, bank accounts, and IRAs or other retirement money. How your estate will be passed on to others and whether it will be taxed varies greatly depending what kind of planning advice you act upon. No two estates are alike. Your stage of life, your family situation, your assets, and your interests all affect the estate plan. It is important to have an expert advisor guide you through the various options.

Wills and Trusts

Nearly everyone needs a Will. If you do not have one, the state will create it for you. That means that you will have no say in who gets what or even who will take care of your minor children. One downfall of Wills is that they have to go through probate court. Many of our clients prefer to keep their financial matters out of open court and ask us to create a Living Trust, which is one of the most effective ways to keep your financial affairs orderly and private.

Trusts are also one of the legal services we offer. Trusts are usually created to save taxes or to make sure money stays in the right hands. There are a wide variety of trusts, such as:

• Revocable Living Trusts
• Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts
• Supplemental Needs Trusts
• Special Needs Trusts
• Qualified Personal Residence Trusts
• Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts
• Charitable Trusts

Trust Administration

When various types of trusts are created, you usually need someone to administer them. We offer impartial trust services.

Estate and Gift Tax Strategies

One of the ways to reduce your estate is to give personal gifts. Under current law, each year you can gift up to $11,000 ($22,000 if married) to as many people as you want. There is no limit to charitable gifting. There are also no limits on gifts for tuition and medical expenses paid directly to the institution. This is one way you can reduce the value of your estate and potential taxes. We will help look at your whole financial picture and decide if this is a good strategy for you.

Powers of Attorney and Health Care Directives

Now is the time when you can decide who will make decisions for you if you cannot make them yourself. A Power of Attorney designates who can make legal and financial decisions for you during your lifetime, such as paying your bills or selling your home. A Health Care Directive lays out who can make decisions about your health and what types of care you want. The tragedy of Terri Schiavo highlighted that even young people should make sure their wishes are formalized in a legal Health Care Directive.

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