Plan Now For The Future

Every adult (young, old, and in between) should engage in planning, and a Last Will and Testament (a "Will") is part of an estate plan.  Your Will allows you to direct how your estate will be managed and distributed. By naming an executor in your Will, you ensure that your affairs are managed according to your wishes by a person that you trust.  If you do not designate an executor, the law will appoint one, and a bond may be required.

Estate planning is more than just writing your Will.  While a Will is an important part of estate planning, there are other things to consider. When I meet with you, we review your assets and talk about you, your needs, your family, and your goals.  I explain what documents are recommended to best meet your needs and what you can do to manage your affairs. In addition to a Will, you should have a power of attorney, health care directive, living will, account designations, and designate standby guardians for your minor children. A trust may also be recommended.   

A trust agreement is a contract between the grantor and the trustee. The contract grants the trustee the authority to manage assets held in trust for the benefit of beneficiaries. The trust agreement allows you to control and direct how the trust assets are managed and distributed. A trust agreement can be signed during your lifetime (a "living trust") and a trust can be created in your Will (a "testamentary trust"). There are also different types of trusts that accomplish different goals and have different objectives. When I meet with you, we will talk about trusts and how a trust may work for you. 

A power of attorney is a legal document that grants someone else the authority to act on your behalf in certain legal and financial matters. This can include managing your finances, paying bills, and making medical decisions if you are unable to do so. By creating a power of attorney, you can ensure that your affairs are managed according to your wishes even if you are unable to manage them yourself.

A living will is a legal document that outlines your wishes regarding end-of-life medical treatment, such as whether you want life-sustaining treatment if you are in a terminal condition. A healthcare directive, on the other hand, is a broader document that appoints someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so. It can also include instructions for your medical care if you are unable to communicate your wishes.

If you want to start your estate planning, please call my office. I will gather some basic information from you and schedule our first meeting. Before I meet with a client, I send a packet that contains information about the estate planning process and forms to fill out. The forms ask about you, your family, your assets, and for your directions for your health care directives and estate distribution. The information in the forms is then used to guide us during our first meeting and to create the estate plan.

Once we have a plan, your documents will be drafted. When the drafts are ready, we will meet again to review drafts together. After the drafts are finalized, we will schedule another meeting for the document signing.  

My office is located in Ransomville, New York, but my clients do not have to come to my office. I meet my clients in their homes or other convenient locations. Clients are more comfortable discussing their estate plans in the privacy of their home, and their important documents are usually stored at home, so they can easily access them during our meetings. It is also more convenient for clients because they do not have to worry about driving or making arrangements for transportation. For parents with young children at home, there is no need to hire a babysitter. I enjoy meeting the children and pets, too.