A great way to determine whether or not you are in need of estate planning is answering these questions with absolute certainty.
We are able to remove a lot of the uncertainty you may be experiencing through Estate Planning. By listening to your needs and wants, we can draft documents that help ensure your wishes are legally carried out upon your death.
You can take charge of your future and have peace of mind by documenting your financial assets and plan of care choices while you are still able to do so. A typical misconception is that estate planning is only for the elderly or the wealthy. However, everyone who wishes to make legally effective choices can benefit from estate planning. By incorporating wills and trusts, or a series of trusts, into your estate plan, several benefits are available including, but not limited to, avoiding expensive estate administration (probate), avoiding federal estate taxes, and protecting your beneficiaries’ future interests from creditors.
1. Your estate plan should tell how your personal assets will be distributed at your death. This is done using a Trust or will.
2. Your estate plan should give a designated person(s) the right to sign legal documents on your behalf if you are unable to do so. This is accomplished with a Durable Power of Attorney.
3. Your estate plan should authorize a designated person(s) to make medical, health care, and end of life decisions on your behalf if you are not able to do so. This is done via a Health Care Power of Attorney and a Living Will (or Declaration).
4. Your estate plan should contemplate who will receive guardianship of your assets and children, if you have children under the age of 18. This is accomplished with Guardianship of a Minor documents.
5. Your estate plan should give authorization for the release of your health information to a designated person(s). This is done using a Medical Records Privacy Waiver (HIPAA release).
This is an excellent question. Do you know what the process is for those left behind upon your death? It is important that you discover what the state dictates for those who choose not to do any estate planning.
In order to get this information in your hands, we recommend scheduling a Peace of Mind Planning Session. Prior to this session, we ask that you complete an inventory/assessment that will help organize your information, pull together relevant asset details, and gather information about who you want to name as agent(s) on your behalf in the various estate planning documents. If we determine we are a good fit to work together, and you determine the current state of your estate planning is not acceptable, then we can work together to design a well-functioning estate plan to protect you and your family.
There are new pieces of legislation that may allow us to plan with a will to direct the distribution of your estate and a deed (or deeds) to direct the distribution of your property. In other instances, it may be a better fit to utilize a trust to avoid probate and protect your family and assets.
Estate planning is not a one-size-fits-all process. What works for one individual or family rarely works for another. This is why we sit down with you, including your family if you prefer, and discuss the needs that are unique to you and your family. We do not use the same documents over and over again. We determine your needs, find workable solutions, and create a document around these solutions.
It is our goal to become a “friend of the family.” This allows for continuity, ease of working together if anyone ever has questions, and allows for a seamless process upon your death. We want to ensure your legacy lives on long after you are gone.
In an effort to ensure your needs are taken care of, we handle advance planning issues including, but not limited to, elder law, Medicaid planning, Special Needs planning, and guardianships. If your particular issue is not mentioned above, please feel free to contact our office. We may be able to assist with your needs or have a preferred attorney in our network who can help.
Most families have not thought ahead to what would happen to their minor children if they (and/or their spouse) die. The general thought is that someone in the family will get the child(ren). But what if they don’t? Our children are often our greatest joy, but we fail to protect them in our estate plan or by our lack of one.
Our firm works with young families to ensure your wishes are carried out regarding your child(ren) in the unthinkable event you and your spouse are no longer around to care for them. Without planning: (1) the child(ren) may be placed in state custody, (2) a judge with no knowledge of you or your family may make the decision on who will raise the child(ren) – regardless of whether you would have chosen that person, (3) 4% of your assets (or more) may be lost to due to probate and it could take more than a year to allocate assets to ensure your child(ren) is taken care of, and (4) your children will receive their full inheritance at age 18 – regardless of whether they are mature enough to handle such a distribution.
Many estate planners do not address any of the above issues, and if they do, they fail to look at it from a parent’s perspective. Our firm offers a family protection plan that takes your children into consideration as we form the ideal documents for your family. It is our goal to ensure your children are taken care of, no matter what the circumstances.
Our firm is uniquely situated to assist in estate planning for business owners. As business owners ourselves, we know the various issues that arise, and have developed plans to ensure your business interests are considered every step of the way. We work closely with you (and any business partners if applicable) to develop a solid plan for your unique situation.
We also work with businesses to develop strategic exit plans for the owners. This can enable the business to carry on upon your incapacity, retirement, or death. Too many businesses fail upon the removal of an owner. Don’t let this happen to you. We would love to work with you and create a strategic business plan covering all foreseeable contingencies.
If you would like to schedule a “Peace of Mind Planning Session”, please click the “Make an Appointment” button on this page or call our office. We see clients Monday through Friday, and ask that you schedule the appointment to ensure someone is available to assist you. Our offices are set up to offer zoom conferences or phone call consultations in order to provide easier access to our services. After hours consults are available upon special request. If you are unable to visit our office locations, we can meet you at a convenient location. We strive to make the estate planning process convenient and seamless.
We have 2 primary offices to serve you: Atkins and Little Rock. Should you need other location options, we have satellite offices in Hazen, Jacksonville, Cabot, and McGehee.
If you are ready to move forward, please click the form linked below and submit at least 3 days prior to our initial meeting. You may also download the form and send it to us via mail, fax, e-mail, or drop it by one of our convenient locations. If you have any questions while completing the worksheet, feel free to call our office and someone will be available to assist. We do ask that you provide our office with a copy of any existing estate planning documents so we may review them prior to our initial meeting.
Our first meeting will typically take between one and two hours. This meeting will (1) allow us to get to know each other and see if we are a good fit and (2) educate you regarding current laws and what would happen if you died without a plan or with your current plan. If we determine we are a good fit and that you are able to benefit from our services, we will proceed in working together to design a plan uniquely fitted to your family.
Once we have completed your initial meeting, we will move into the information gathering and design portion of your plan. This is where we conduct a thorough review of the information you’ve provided, advise of any additional information needed, and draft a plan that will work for you.
This process typically takes between 30 – 90 minutes. This depends on the extent of questions and how thoroughly we reviewed items in advance.
We allow for minor amendments to the plan for a period of 90 days following signing, at no additional charge.
Funding is the process whereby you fund any trust created by the plan. There may also be title documents, deeds, or other documents that need to be reviewed, signed, and filed. This can take weeks or months after the signing of your estate plan.
Our first meeting will typically take between one and two hours. This meeting will (1) allow us to get to know each other and see if we are a good fit and (2) educate you regarding current laws and what would happen if you died without a plan or with your current plan. If we determine we are a good fit and that you are able to benefit from our services, we will proceed in working together to design a plan uniquely fitted to your family.
Once we have completed your initial meeting, we will move into the information gathering and design portion of your plan. This is where we conduct a thorough review of the information you’ve provided, advise of any additional information needed, and draft a plan that will work for you.
This process typically takes between 30 – 90 minutes. This depends on the extent of questions and how thoroughly we reviewed items in advance.
We allow for minor amendments to the plan for a period of 90 days following signing, at no additional charge.
Funding is the process whereby you fund any trust created by the plan. There may also be title documents, deeds, or other documents that need to be reviewed, signed, and filed. This can take weeks or months after the signing of your estate plan.