Practice Areas

Estate Planning

Planning for your own personal and financial security, as well as the continued well-being of your loved ones after your death, may seem like an overwhelming responsibility.  The issues of a potential disability during your lifetime, long-term illness, and death, are not easy topics for anyone to consider.

Comprehensive estate planning involves more than a simple will.  It provides detailed instructions for your care in the event you can no longer speak for yourself, establishes who will receive your assets at the time of your death (as well as the manner and time when  they are to be distributed), reduces the cost of probate or avoids probate altogether, minimizes or eliminates estate taxes, determines who cares for your children (if they are minors when both parents have died), and allows you to maintain control of your assets during your life and after your death.

The complexities of the law—combined with a frequent unwillingness to acknowledge one’s own mortality—lead many people to procrastinate until it is too late to complete this important work.  However, our experience and knowledge make it easy for you to achieve your estate planning objectives.  Don’t wait any longer to begin your estate plan.  Contact us to find out more about how we may assist you.

Asset Protection

Business owners, physicians and other professionals must, at all times, be concerned about the potential liability that may arise from the operation of their businesses and professional practices.  Similarly, people who own real estate, investment accounts, bank accounts, and other valuable assets worry that law suits may wipe out everything they’ve worked their entire lives to accumulate.  Asset protection plans are much more effective when you have the foresight to set them up well in advance of a lawsuit, and the longer they have been in place the stronger they become.  Additionally, without prior planning, existing circumstances or developing liabilities may preclude an attorney from assisting you in this area.

We live in a victim-oriented society.  Plaintiffs’ attorneys are always seeking large jury awards.  Asset protection is proactive planning to protect your assets from future creditors or judgments.  This involves legal strategies that can deter a lawsuit and help prevent the seizure of your assets after a judgment.  Having a solid plan in place forces legal opponents to quickly recognize the difficulty of obtaining anything from a claim.  In situations where there are a variety of assets involved, your plan may consist of several legal structures.

We will help you analyze your current holdings with respect to potential legal claims and the likelihood of future exposure, taking into account your existing assets, professional occupation, business ventures, and any additional factors that may lead to personal liability.  We also consider your family situation and your estate planningneeds in an asset protection plan.

If you feel that you or a company that you own are at risk from lawsuits or other claims, contact us today to begin the process of asset protection planning for you and your family.