Wills and Estates

Many people don’t know how or where to begin when it comes to estate planning. Our team has many years of experience assisting clients through the process, identifying potential issues and planning accordingly. Each individual family, business and financial circumstance requires an individual plan and legal structure to ensure that your wishes are upheld and carried out as you intended.

We take the time to fully understand your situation and provide the resources necessary to implement the most effective plan. Well-drafted estate and incapacity planning documents will protect both your interests and the interests of your loved ones, and can serve as tools to reduce probate fees and minimize taxes. We can help you with:

• Drafting estate and incapacity planning documents, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney and personal directives

• Implementing estate planning techniques to minimize probate fees

• Working with clients and their professional advisors to protect family wealth

• Implementing tax-effective succession plans for business owners

• Setting up trusts, including spousal trusts

• Planning for the care and maintenance of family members with disabilities or special challenges

• Planning for second marriages to ensure that the needs of children from a prior relationship, as well as the needs of the second spouse, are met

• Executing estate freezes, including family trusts

• Assisting clients who wish to make charitable gifts by ensuring that their specific tax-planning and personal objectives are met

• Advising clients about their rights and obligations under a power of attorney or personal directive

• Assisting clients where there is concern about abuse or negligence under a power of attorney or personal directive, including mishandling of an adult’s assets