Our Estate Planning Services
Last Will and Testament
A Last Will and Testament is a foundational estate planning tool used to name beneficiaries for your assets, appoint guardians for minor children, and establish testamentary trusts if needed. While wills do not avoid probate, they are ideal for smaller or less complex estates and provide essential clarity for your loved ones.
Revocable Living Trust
A Revocable Living Trust is a legal document that allows you to manage and distribute your assets during your lifetime and after death, while avoiding probate. It offers greater privacy, flexibility, and control—making it ideal for more complex estates or those seeking to simplify asset transfer for loved ones.
Incapacity Planning
Incapacity planning ensures that your medical, financial, and personal wishes are respected if you become unable to make decisions for yourself. Key documents include an Advance Health Care Directive, Durable General Power of Attorney, and Disposition of Remains, each empowering trusted individuals to act on your behalf when needed.
Bypass Trust
A Bypass Trust, also known as a Credit Shelter Trust, is an estate planning tool used by married couples to reduce or eliminate estate taxes by preserving the deceased spouse’s estate tax exemption. It allows assets to pass to heirs without being subject to estate tax in the surviving spouse’s estate, while still providing for the surviving spouse during their lifetime.
Testamentary Minor's Trust
A Testamentary Minor’s Trust is a trust created within a will to manage and protect assets left to minor children until they reach a specified age. It allows you to appoint a trustee to oversee the inheritance and ensures the funds are used for the child’s benefit, such as education, health, and support.
Special Needs Trust
A Special Needs Trust is designed to provide financial support to a person with disabilities without jeopardizing their eligibility for government benefits like Medicaid. It allows funds to be used for supplemental needs—such as education, therapy, or personal care—while preserving access to essential public assistance.
QTIP Trust
A QTIP Trust (Qualified Terminable Interest Property Trust) allows a person to provide income to their surviving spouse for life while controlling the distribution of the trust’s principal after the spouse’s death. It’s commonly used in estate planning to maximize tax benefits and protect assets for children from a previous marriage.
Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust
An Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT) is a trust that owns a life insurance policy, removing the policy’s value from your taxable estate. It provides liquidity to your heirs, helps cover estate taxes, and ensures the death benefit is distributed according to your wishes without going through probate.
Irrevocable "Crummey" Trust
An Irrevocable "Crummey" Trust is a type of trust that allows you to make gifts qualifying for the annual gift tax exclusion by giving beneficiaries temporary access to the contributions. This trust is often used for estate tax planning while preserving gift tax benefits and maintaining control over how the assets are ultimately managed and distributed.
Prenuptial Agreement
A Prenuptial Agreement is a legally binding contract created before marriage that outlines how assets, debts, and financial matters will be handled in the event of divorce or death. It helps protect individual property rights and provides clarity and peace of mind for both parties.
LLC Creation
An LLC (Limited Liability Company) is a flexible legal entity used to hold and manage assets like real estate or business interests, offering liability protection and simplified management. Placing an LLC into a trust allows those assets to be distributed according to your estate plan, helping avoid probate, maintain privacy, and ensure continuity of control and management.
Deeds
A deed is the legal document used to transfer ownership of real property, and changing the deed to place your home or property into a trust helps avoid probate and maintain privacy. This process ensures your real estate is managed and distributed according to your estate planning wishes.
Probate
Probate is the legal process of settling a deceased person’s estate. It involves validating the will (if one exists), identifying and valuing assets, paying any debts or taxes, and distributing the remaining property to beneficiaries. While probate ensures that everything is handled according to the law, it can sometimes be time-consuming or costly-- especially without proper planning.
Estate Planning Organizer
Our Estate Planning Organizer helps you neatly compile important personal, financial, and medical information, along with estate planning basics, for yourself and a loved one. It includes pockets for documents and business cards, making it easier for others to manage your care and estate when needed.
Prices indicated are base prices, current as of January 1, 2025. Additional fees may apply, and prices may change without notice. Prices for Wills and Living Trusts are package prices.