Estate Planning

Protecting you and your family during your life time and after your death are the real goals of an Estate Plan. The Trust portion of the Estate Plan should preserve as much of the value of your assets as possible by avoiding unnecessary expense, costs, fees and taxes. The Trust and Will should provide the most for you and your family during any incapacity you may experience. Other documents, as well as the Trust and Will, allow you to direct how, to whom and when your assets will be used and distributed. An Estate Plan should include, at least, a Trust, a Will, a Power of Attorney for Asset Management, an Assignment of property, a living will also known as an Advance Health Care Directive, an authorization to release protected health information, and asset transfer documents. Estate Plans, to be functional, must include identifying and keeping track of your assets, your life changes, and your family and fiduciary dynamics on an ongoing basis. There are several different types of trusts that may be chosen from to accommodate your particular situation. Below is a list of some of those types of trusts, as well as other estate plan documents.