Planning for your future is crucial to protecting your loved ones. By establishing a thoughtfully crafted estate plan, you can protect your assets and legacy for future generations. We’re dedicated to helping clients build this important foundation.
Who Needs an Estate Plan?
Some people wonder if estate planning is really for them. We say it’s for every husband, wife, mother, father, grandparent, business owner, or professional. It’s for anyone with loved ones who rely on them for their well-being.
Estate planning is for anyone who seeks to make a difference in the lives of others after they’re gone. It’s “life planning,” and it’s a rewarding process that provides peace of mind for individuals and families who want to protect their futures.
We’ll work with you to establish an estate plan that not only allows you to pass on property according to your wishes, but also minimizes the tax liability placed on your beneficiaries. Proper estate planning puts in place decisions regarding elder care and management of affairs should a senior become mentally or physically incapacitated.
A variety of legal documents can be used to carry out estate planning. Depending on your goals and wishes, your estate plan may include the following:
- Will or Trust based estate plans with marital and bypass planning;
- A suite of supporting documents which may include a Durable Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy, Living Will, HIPAA Release, and Homestead;
- Irrevocable Trusts for Asset Protection;
- Life Insurance Trusts (ILIT); and/or
- Special Needs Trusts (to preserve and state or federal benefits a child or beneficiary may be receiving)
- Qualified Personal Residence Trusts (QPRT);
- Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRAT);
- Lifetime Bypass Trusts;
- Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLAT);
- Sale or Loan to a Defective Grantor Trust; and/or
- Multigenerational Trusts (Generation Skipping)
New Hampshire and Massachusetts Wills & Trusts
Having a will or a trust can ensure your assets will be distributed as you see fit when you pass. To put it plainly, a will is a document that determines the distribution of assets upon your passing, while a trust is a more complex document that can control the timing and allocation of asset distribution.
If someone passes away and doesn’t have a will or a trust, the probate process becomes exponentially more difficult. The process can be time-consuming and costly. If you have specific ideas on how you want your assets to be distributed, they should be expressed through a will or trust.
Are you ready to create an estate plan that addresses your circumstances and needs? Contact our office in Merrimac, MA, in Essex County. Our experienced estate planning attorneys serve residents of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Let us help you understand the planning challenges you face and the options you have available.