Your business, your home, and other real estate,
	Tangible personal property such as cars and furniture, and
	Intangible property like insurance, bank accounts, stocks, bonds, pension & social security benefits.

An estate plan is your mapping of where you want your property to go after you die.

Not Just For The Older Generation

To many young and middle-aged people die, without warning, often leaving spouse and minor children who need care and direction. Estate planning should be part of your overall financial plan, along with your children's college tuition and your retirement needs. If your circumstances change, it's easy & inexpensive to adjust plans.

What Happens If You Do Not Plan?

If you die without a will or trust, you have in effect left it to your states law to write your will for you. That means the state will make certain assumption about where you would like your money to go to (with which you might not agree). Some of your hard earned money might end up with people who do not need it.

Meanwhile others who might need money more; or who are more deserving, could be shortchanged. Surviving relatives may squabble over who gets particular items of your property, since you did not, make the decisions before death.

Ten Things An Estate Planner Can Do For You

1. Provide for your immediate family

   Couples want to provide enough money for their surviving spouse. Couples with children want to assure their education & upbringing. If you have children under 18, both you & your spouse should have a will nominating personal guardians for the children, in case you both should die before, they grow up. Otherwise, a Court will decide without your imput where your kids will live and who will make important decisions about their money, education,& way of life.

2. Get your property to beneficiaries quickly

   Options include insurance paid directly to beneficiaries, joint tenancy, personal residence trust, & living trusts, as well as using simplified or expedited probate & taking advantage of laws that provide partial payments to beneficiaries while will is in probate.

3. Plan for incapacity

   During estate planning you can also plan for possible mental or physical incapacity. Living wills & durable healthcare powers of attorney enable you to make decisions about life support & pick someone to make your medical treatment choices.

4. Minimize expenses

   Good estate planning can keep the cost of transferring property to beneficiaries as low as possible leaving more money for beneficiaries.

5. Choosing executors / trustees for estate

   Choosing competent executors/ trustees & giving them the necessary authority will save money, reduce the burden on your survivors, & simplify estate administration. We provide services in this area.

6. Ease the strain on your family

   You can take burden from your grieving survivors & plan your funeral arrangement when planning your estate. You may want to simply limit the expense of your burial or designate its place.

7. Help a favorite cause

   Your estate plan can help support religious, educational & other charitable causes, either during your lifetime or upon your death, & at the same time take advantage of tax laws designed to encourage private philanthropy.

8. Reduce tax on your estate

   Every dollar your estate pays in estate or inheritance taxes is a dollar that your beneficiaries will not receive. A good estate plan can give the maximum allowed by law to your beneficiaries & the minimum to the government.

9. Provide for people who need help & guidance

   Do you have an elderly parent or disabled child, or grandchild whose education or health you want to assure. You could establish a special trust fund for family members who need support that you will not be there to provide.

10. Make sure your business goes on smoothly

    If you have a small business, you can provide for an orderly succession & continuation of its affairs by spelling out what will happen to business. By using family trusts you can still control your assets & at the same time transfer appreciated property to the next generation.

    By our valuing your business you can take advantage of valuation discounts thus reducing your taxable estate by 35 - 45%.

THE ABOVE IMFORMATION FOCUSES ON BROAD LEGAL PRINCIPLES, AND THE INFORMATION PROVIDED SHOULD NOT BE ACTED ON WITHOUT PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. MAKE SURE THE PROFESSIONAL YOU USE IS THROROUGHLY FAMILIAR WITH THE LAW IN YOUR STATE.