What Does an Estate Planning Attorney Do?

Sometimes, our clients aren’t sure that they should be in an estate planning attorney’s office.  They are unsure what an estate planning attorney really does and think estate planning is just for people named Gates, Kennedy, and Rockefeller.   In truth, absolutely everyone needs a strong, comprehensive, individualized, up-to-date estate plan.

Bottom line:  An estate planning attorney helps people protect themselves, their family, and their assets.  They help people just like you carry out their hopes, dreams, and goals.  They help alleviate fears and worries and help people sleep better at night.

Here is a list of common issues that estate planning attorneys help people with:

• Staying in control of your affairs
• Passing assets to whom they want, when they want, and how they want
• Avoiding court interference
• Avoiding guardianships
• Handling probate
• Avoiding probate
• Protecting minor children
• Minimizing federal estate, generation skipping, and gift taxes and state inheritance and estate taxes
• Qualifying for Medicaid to pay for nursing home costs (i.e. nursing home planning)
• Planning and protecting inheritances for children and other beneficiaries
• Special needs planning
• Small business planning
• Pet planning
• Legacy planning
• Trust administration
• Estate settlement
• Qualifying for veterans aid and attendance benefits
• Identifying and setting estate planning goals
• Planning for blended families
• Planning for farmers and ranchers
• Remarriage protection
• Divorce protection
• Inheritance planning for beneficiaries
• Designing, drafting, executing, and implementing estate planning documents
• Providing health care powers of attorneys, revocable living trusts, living wills, wills, trusts, organ donation authorizations, and financial powers of attorneys

If you are unsure if an estate planning attorney can help you with your issue, be sure to ask.