Why Plan Your Estate?
Estate Planning is important, no matter what the size of your estate may be. Through estate planning, you ensure that your assets will go to your intended beneficiaries. You also, may save money on taxes, court costs, and attorney’s fees, and prevent squabbling among your heirs and financial confusion after your death. You can also avoid probate. In addition, you can protect your estate assets against your possible future mental or physical incapacity and the catastrophic costs of long-term medical and nursing care.
Estate Planning Services
Alex M. Hilsen, Esq., LL.M. is committed to helping you protect the assets you’ve spent a lifetime accumulating so that you can provide for your future financial needs and leave a lasting, fulfilling legacy to your heirs in years to come.
Can You Answer These 10 Questions?
* If you can’t answer these questions, you should begin the estate planning process now.
1. What happens to my assets if I become incapable of handling my affairs?
2. Who will raise my children?
3. How will my family inherit my assets?
4. How can I be certain my money will stay in my family?
5. Will my spouse and children be able to survive financially?
6. What happens to my Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and other retirement assets?
7. What will happen to my business?
8. How can I simplify the estate administration process for my family?
9. I have a “blended” family from different marriages. What happens to them?
10. What happens to my disabled child?
The Fundamentals of Estate Planning:
One of the best ways to help assure that your assets will be managed by your family as you intend is to develop a comprehensive estate plan designed to meet your individual needs. The estate planning process typically involves working with your financial, tax and legal advisors to develop a customized estate plan.
Many Estate Plans include the following:
• Last Wills and Testaments
• Durable Financial Powers of Attorney
• Advance Medical Directives
• Revocable and/or Irrevocable Trusts
• Insurance Trusts
• Charitable Remainder Trusts
• Minor’s Trusts – Spendthrift Trusts
• By-Pass or Credit Shelter Trusts
• Marital Trusts (QTIP)
• Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts or Grantor Retained Uni-Trusts
• Qualified Personal Residence Trusts
• Planning for Disabled Children
• Life and Long-Term Care Insurance
• Gifting Strategies
• Business Succession Planning
• Family Limited Partnerships
• Pre-Nuptial Agreements
Alex M. Hilsen, Esq., LL.M. is committed to helping you protect the assets you’ve spent a lifetime accumulating so that you can provide for your future financial needs and leave a lasting, fulfilling legacy to your heirs in years to come.