ESTATE PLANNING

Having a comprehensive estate plan is an important way to define how your assets will be distributed upon your death, provide for the guardianship of minor children and ensure that your wishes will be followed should you become incapacitated.

Attorney Merrill J. Atkins will work closely with you to analyze your financial and health care situation and fully understand your personal wishes.  He will then develop a comprehensive estate plan that may include a last will and testament, tax minimization strategies, living will, health care proxy, guardianship for minor children and durable power of attorney.   In addition, we will work with you to ensure that your estate plan evolves to meet any new needs resulting from life events such as the birth of a child or moving to another state.

Estate Planning Services

  • Wills
  • Trusts
  • Health Care Proxies
  • Power of Attorney
  • Guardianship
  • Executor Services
  • Preparing Medicaid plans and applications
  • Review of life insurance and long term care insurance needs
  • Gift and charitable contribution planning
  • Special Needs Trusts

Consult An Estate Planning Attorney To Protect You During Your Life

You may utilize Powers of Attorney and Living Trusts to help protect your assets and independence should you be struck with a physical or mental incapacity. This may avoid a costly court conservatorship proceeding. It may also avoid long delays of desired financial transactions. 

You may also utilize a health care proxy. This document may avoid a costly court guardianship proceeding. You may utilize a special irrevocable trust to protect some or all of the assets from an incapacity which may turn into a Long Term Care illness.

Consult An Estate Planning Attorney To Protect Your Family After Death

You may execute a Will to bequeath assets to specific individuals of your choice. This may avoid having the state determine which people inherit your assets. In addition, you can name Guardians for your minor children in your Will. This may avoid the court choosing a Guardian without your recommendation.

You may also utilize Living Trusts to help protect your family after death. This may avoid the costly probate process and will keep the assets confidential by avoiding have to make the estate a matter of public record. In many cases, federal estate taxes and state estate taxes can be reduced with credit shelter trust provisions and marital deduction trust provisions.

Finally, if you have children or a spouse with special needs, disabilities, or the inability to manage assets prudently, there is a variety of trusts, including special needs trusts, supplemental needs trusts, and irrevocable trusts, which may be drafted to protect your family members with special needs.

Contact Attorney Merrill J. Atkins to arrange a free Estate Planning consultation or to learn more about estate planning.