Estate Planning

    GET STARTED

    Building Your Legacy

    Whether it’s creating a legacy for the people or the causes you care most about, we can help you reach your goals for what you leave behind — without sacrificing what you plan to achieve today.

    Estate Planning and Wealth Transfer

    Our financial experts can design a plan that protects your family and your business, minimizes your taxes, and grows your assets.

    Trusts

    Our experienced professionals can identify the best options, design customized strategies, and provide the expert management to achieve your goals.

    Philanthropy Planning

    Guided exclusively by your goals, we can help you discover the best ways to utilize charitable gifts to support the causes that are closest to your heart.

    Insurance Planning

    We can help you minimize or eliminate the impact of estate and federal taxes while ensuring that you receive the coverage you need.

    • What is estate planning?

      Estate planning is an essential tool for transferring a person’s wealth and assets after his or her death. This can include real estate, life insurance, pensions, property, a business, personal belongings, and debts.

    • Why is estate planning important?

      Effective estate planning creates the smallest possible tax burden for the people who inherit assets, ensuring that unexpected costs don’t thwart your wishes. Even with just a little bit of planning, couples can reduce or eliminate federal and state estate taxes and state inheritance taxes.

    • What are the benefits of estate planning?

      An estate plan assures that your home, finances, and other assets can provide for your family, even after you are gone. That’s why everyone, regardless of how much they’re able to leave for their family, can benefit from estate planning.

    • What is the difference between estate planning and a will?

      Estate Planning allows for the proper and desired asset transfer at death, minimization of estate taxes, and avoidance of probate. A will is a legal instrument used in estate planning that is a set of instructions for probate.

    • What are the differences between a will and a trust?

      While wills and trusts are both used to pass assets on to beneficiaries, there are distinct differences:

      •  A trust can be used to avoid probate court (and probate costs).
      • Unlike a will, a trust can provide creditor protection for beneficiaries — the inheritance won’t be lost to creditors such as credit card companies, bankruptcy filings, or a lawsuit, for example.
      • A trust can protect the beneficiary’s needs-based government disability benefits.
      • Unlike a will, trusts can reduce estate taxes.
      • A trust can administer assets to minor beneficiaries without the involvement of the courts.

    • What does an estate planning attorney do?

      An attorney who specializes in estate planning knows the myriad ins and outs of tax and estate laws. He or she can draft living trusts, help you minimize or avoid estate taxes, and work alongside your financial advisor to ensure that everything you worked your whole life to leave to your family is safe from creditors.

    • What are the benefits of having a will?

      A will is a legal document detailing how you would like to disburse property to heirs after your death. Without a will, the disbursements will be made according to state law and might not be according to what you would want. In a will, you can name the person who will manage and settle your estate (also called an executor). If you have not named an executor, the court will appoint someone. If you have minor children or dependents, a will enables you to name a legal guardian. And like an executor, if you do not appoint a guardian, the state will appoint one for you.

       

      If you have a will, it is essential to update your will periodically as your life circumstances change. Also, since a will is a legal document, it should be well-written with your wishes articulated and executed correctly under your state’s laws, as courts will be reluctant to overturn provisions within it.