Estate Planning

Although death and dying are topics you may not want to think about, none of us can avoid them forever.

Having an estate plan will help make things smoother for yourself and your loved ones when the inevitable happens. You can make decisions now that will determine how decisions regarding your healthcare and your finances are handled if you are unable to speak for yourself at some point prior to death.

Through estate planning, you also can help those whom you love with some of the issues that they will face both before and after death. Estate planning cannot prevent the emotional pain associated with death, but it can help to diminish other burdens that often are experienced at the same time.

A basic estate plan includes a:

  • Last Will and Testament,
  • Power of attorney that deals with medical and financial matters when you are incapacitated by illness, and
  • Living Will through which you can make important healthcare decisions for yourself when you are no longer able to speak for yourself.

While putting an estate plan in effect or revising a plan that no longer reflects your wishes may not be something that you want to think about, this is an important consideration for all of us regardless of age or current health so that decisions will be handled appropriately whenever the need may arise.

Working with an attorney you trust and will listen to you

Having an attorney you trust and who will listen to you is a crucial part of the process of developing an estate plan that will meet your needs. I can help you to come up with the type of estate plan that will reflect your wishes as well as meet your needs. For example, you may want a trust set up through your Will to protect a loved one who is receiving government benefits.

Also, as part of their plan, people often want to transfer assets, such as a home, prior to death. However, this may have implications that you will want to think about before you take this action. With estate planning, every decision that you make and every action that you take will have consequences that you will want to know about as your estate plan is developed.

I can help you through the Estate Planning process.

You can contact me at 412-454-9012 for a consultation about the issues to be considered and the decisions to be made.