Our Estate Planning Services
Who Should Consider an Estate Plan?
Estate Planning During COVID
Each personal and family situation requires a specific plan appropriate for that circumstance. As an Estate Planning and Elder Law attorney, I interview my clients in-depth to determine which strategies are most appropriate to preserve and protect assets, minimize cost, eliminate probate (if desired), and prevent disputes among family and friends. I educate you about the process of administering an estate or trust, whether probate or non-probate, and warn you of potential pitfalls of different techniques (trust v. will, using a community property agreement v. not using one, etc.). Next, I write the necessary documents and provide counsel regarding ongoing maintenance of the plan. Estate planning online is also an option with our office through phone, email or web conferencing.
When Should You Review Your Estate Plan
If you already have estate planning documents in place (great job for being on top of your game at some point), the general recommendation is that you review them at least every 3-5 years. Even if you don’t meet me to review them, pull them out for yourself and confirm all the people you named as agents in various documents are still living, your assets have not significantly increased or decreased, you haven’t gotten divorced, remarried or widowed, and your general wishes are still the same. Chances are it’s time for this kind of housekeeping. If circumstances have changed, you should come in for an official review and update. Inaccurate planning can be worse than no planning sometimes.