Wills

Wills are not just for the middle-aged or senior citizens. Far from it. Wills can benefit young families with children as well as unmarried couples whose rights are not recognized by the state without the proper legal documents. There is an old adage, "a Will is a law unto itself." There is a default law detailing what happens when someone passes away without a Will, called "Intestacy". A Will is a law unto itself because it alters the default laws of intestacy.

Surviving Spouses: Many of our clients are surprised to learn that under the laws of intestacy the surviving spouse is not guaranteed 100% of their estate. If fact, if a married individual who has no children passes away with surviving parents, the surviving spouse and parents will share the estate - an undesirable outcome for most married couples. Moreover, if a married individual who has children passes away, the surviving spouse and the children share the estate - yet another undesirable outcome. A properly drafted Will can insure that your assets are given to your surviving spouse upon your passing.

Blended Families: In modern society there is also the blended family to consider. Should successive spouses and step-children receive a portion of the estate? If so, how much and how does one insure the biological children are not left with nothing? Again, a properly drafted Will can address these concerns.

Disabled Beneficiaries: Fortunately, current law permits the use of a disability trust within a Will to protect assets should one of your beneficiaries be disabled and on public benefits. This protects the beneficiary's inheritance while they remain on public benefits. The funds will be used for the disable beneficiaries care but are not countable and thus do not result in disqualification for public benefits. This is one of the few tools that are specifically mentioned in the law and we use it in every Will.

We provide the following services

• Simple wills / complex wills
• Simple trusts / complex trusts
• Revocable trusts
• Irrevocable trusts
• Life insurance trusts
• Special needs trusts
• Living wills
• Medical powers of attorney
• Durable powers of attorney
• Health care directives
• Probate and estate administration
• Elder law

Please contact us or submit your case for review on our
Case Review Page to discuss your will.