A health care proxy is an important part of your estate plan.

What Will Estate Planning Do for You?

It’s not about what you own. It’s about whom you love and what you value.

Estate Planning isn’t a process of filling out forms. It’s driven by a conversation, one that I have with every client, and each one is different.

1. A Conversation About What’s Important

Estate planning begins with a discussion, meeting in your home or office if needed, to explore the issues that may concern you.

  • It starts with the people you care about. Will their needs be met? Can we prevent their having to wrestle with difficult decisions on their own? Can we keep your family and home environment intact? Who will raise your children?
  • Next we consider your own well being. We’ll discuss what would happen if circumstances prevent you from making decisions for yourself. We’ll think about who you trust to look out for your best interests, to serve as your advocate and the need for a health care proxy or healthcare power of attorney. We’ll discuss how you want to be treated in the event that your health declines unexpectedly, and any thoughts you have about maintaining the quality of your life.
  • Finally, we focus on safeguarding your assets. In part we’re talking about reducing how much the government takes. Just as importantly, I help you think carefully about whom in your life is best suited to oversee money, to manage property, or run your business.

2. Recommendations to Accomplish Your Needs

Once I have a clear picture about what matters most to you, then I will make suggestions about how to best achieve what you want to accomplish. These may include:

  • Wills – from simple to complex, maximizing all legally available credits.
  • Trusts – revocable or irrevocable:
    • Asset protection trusts
    • Children's and charitable trusts
    • Supplemental needs trusts
    • Irrevocable insurance trusts
  • Living wills
  • Health care proxy or healthcare power of attorney
  • Durable powers of attorney
  • Business succession planning
  • Limited family partnerships

The goal of our estate planning is to insure that your wishes are clearly expressed for the time when you are gone or can no longer communicate your intentions.

3. Keeping Your Plans Current

You can rely on periodic communication from my office to insure that your plans are kept up to date. I enjoy staying in touch with my clients, and it doesn’t require a lot of effort to help you remain aware of options that could benefit you or your heirs. I take pride in managing your estate plan with attention to detail and compassion for sensitive issues.

This extra step is why my clients experience such peace of mind over their estate plans, and why they have become such a strong source of referral business, for which I am deeply grateful.

To learn about establishing an estate plan that will properly carry out your intentions, please contact my office to schedule a confidential discussion.