Tax and Estate Planning
Helping families navigate the difficult world of taxes and estates. Get started with your estate plan in as little as a 15-minute phone call with Josh
We all know that we need one, but estate planning often falls to the very bottom of the list of our everyday “to-do.” Attorney Josh will help make the estate planning process easy and quick; all you have to do is schedule a free consultation today. From your very first call, attorney Josh will walk you through the estate planning process and answer any questions you have so that you can be confident that your plan takes care of the people you love the most.
Estate Planning Practice Areas
Wills
A Last Will & Testament is your written, formal wishes on what should happen to all of the property that you own. Although Wills needs to go through the probate process to be formally recognized, Wills serves as the foundation of any estate plan. Attorney Josh will work with you to capture wishes so that your family is taken care of and your goals are met.
Trusts
Another foundation tool in an estate planner’s arsenal is the Revocable Living Trust. In effect, a trust is a legal document that holds all property that you own. By holding property in a trust, you can avoid probate, and your final wishes can be achieved without the heartache that comes along with drawn-out court cases. Trusts also protect your privacy and give you more control over all your hard work so that these decisions are not left up to the courts. Attorney Josh will work with you to best understand your wishes and capture it within your trust.
Trust Reformations
Attorney Josh understands that the law is constantly changing and sometimes your final wishes aren’t being maintained by your Trust after you are gone. Sometimes, a trust reformation is necessary because there are unanticipated changes in the law or circumstances of life. Attorney Josh works with families and beneficiaries of Trusts to help make reformations to ensure that the Trust can continue to meet its goal: to provide for the friends and family of the trust creator.
Powers of Attorney
Powers of Attorney allow you to name someone who can step into your shoes and manage your finances. Anyone can be a Power of Attorney, your friends, your siblings, or your children. Taking advantage of a Power of Attorney can help you maintain control over your your finances through the help of another.
Wills
What types of wills are available to me?
There are two main Wills that are frequently used in an Estate Plan, pour-over Wills and traditional Wills. Pourover Wills serves as a “catch-all” tool when a Revocable Living Trust is involved. If there is no Trust, all of your final wishes will be written down in the Will itself.
Do you need a lawyer to write a will?
Many people don’t know this, but in fact, you do not need a lawyer to write a Will. To create a valid Will there are three things that need to exist:
The Will must be in writing.
The Will must be signed by the testator or in the testator’s name by some other individual in the testator’s conscious presence and by the testator’s direction.
The Will Signed by at least 2 individuals, each of whom signed within a reasonable time after he or she witnessed either the signing of the will as described in subdivision (b) or the testator’s acknowledgment of that signature or acknowledgment of the will
In some situations, a Will can be created if it is dated and if the testator’s signature and the document’s material portions are in the testator’s handwriting. This type of Will is called a “Holographic Will”
Which Will is better to use?
There is no one Will that is best to use. You should use the Will that will best capture your final wishes and provide clarity to your family for what should happen for your property. To learn about what Will is best for you, contact Josh using the form below or schedule your FREE consultation today.
Trusts
What is trust and how does it work?
A trust is a legal document and tool that allows a third party to hold all of your property on behalf of your beneficiary or beneficiaries.
A trust works by legally holding all of your property to help you gift all of your assets out of probate. Through the use of a Trust, your assets can pass outside of probate, which saves time for your beneficiaries, helps limit court fees and lawyer fees and could also potentially reduce taxes on your estate.
What is the purpose of a trust?
Trusts have a number of different purposes. The primary purpose of a trust is to avoid probate and help gift your assets to your beneficiaries in a quick and efficient manner.
What can be included in a trust?
In a word, everything. Trusts are frequently used in estate plans because they have ultimate flexibility. Through a Trust you can provide limitations on when and how your beneficiaries receive your assets, you can incentivize things that you care about such as earning a degree or going to trade school. Trusts can also be used to help achieve charitable goals such as creating a foundation for a cause you are passionate about. Get started on establishing your trust today by contacting Attorney Josh for your FREE consultation.
What is the process of writing a trust with a lawyer?
Writing a trust wish attorney Josh is simple. The first step is to schedule your FREE consultation. During your consultation, Josh will ask you questions to understand your goals. Afterward, Josh will craft a trust that captures your goals. After Josh finishes writing your trust Josh will spend time reviewing your trust with you before printing it and walking you through how to sign and fund your trust. In as little as 2 weeks you can have a Trust that works for you.
Working with an Estate Attorney
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Contact Josh
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Schedule your FREE Consultation to discuss your estate plan
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Josh created an estate plan that protects your assets and gives your peace of mind