You have worked your entire life to accumulate your wealth and assets, and you want to protect them, both for your future and that of your loved ones. Although creating an estate plan can require some difficult conversations, they are critical to ensure that you have the final say over who inherits your estate and what happens to your assets when you are gone.
Estate planning is among one of the most important acts you can take to ensure that your wishes regarding your healthcare and the disposition of your property are followed in the event of your incapacity or death, and that your loved ones are financially provided for in your absence. At the law office of Ged Lawyers, LLP in Boca Raton, our Florida estate planning attorneys draft wills, trusts and powers of attorney to create a comprehensive estate plan that meets your needs and desires for your family, no matter what surprises life brings.
Who Needs Comprehensive Estate Planning?
Estate planning is not only for those with significant wealth. Anyone who owns property, has children, or wants to plan for their future financial wellbeing needs a comprehensive estate plan. Just as financial planning is essential for creating your wealth, estate planning is how you preserve it for yourself and your loved ones.
What a Estate Planning Attorney Can Do For You
Estate planning is not done in a vacuum. It considers the very heart and soul of individuals, their families, and the culmination of a lifetime of living. A skilled estate planning lawyer must understand and respect the immense responsibility in their care. Your life and your estate are unlike any other, and our estate planning team will work closely with you to ensure that your plan is tailored with your important goals in mind.
Having the skilled advice of an experienced Boca Raton estate planning lawyer can help you make educated, critical decisions regarding
- Any disposition of assets and personal belongings in your estate after you are gone
- Naming a guardian for your minor children
- Designating beneficiaries
- Establishing trusts with specific goals in mind
- Protecting your assets from any potential taxes or creditors
- Planning for your future long-term care
- Naming who can make financial and healthcare decisions for you if you are not able to
At Ged Lawyers, LLP, our Boca Raton estate planning lawyers listen closely to your needs and consider your unique situation to develop and create the right devices to fulfill your goals. You can have peace of mind that your estate, your future, and your legacy have been protected if the unforeseen happens.
Wills and Trusts
Your estate consists of all the assets owned by you at the time of your death and can include many different types of property, including real estate, bank accounts, securities, life insurance policies, and personal property. The right combination of wills and trusts will help ensure that all of your property is accounted for and included in your estate plan. Our lawyers draft wills and trusts and other testamentary documents that maximize the management and control of your assets and investments during your lifetime, while minimizing the time and expense required to probate your estate and taking full advantage of the most favorable tax treatment for you and your heirs and beneficiaries.
Advance Directives and Powers of Attorney
An equally important aspect of estate planning that should not be overlooked involves planning for the management of your affairs in the event of temporary, long-term or permanent incapacity. Documents such as health care advance directives, health care surrogate designation, health care proxies and living wills can help ensure your wishes are followed regarding how you want to be treated, including life support and end-of life decisions. By not addressing these issues in advance, you wind up placing the burden on your loved ones at an emotional time, and they may not know your wishes or agree how you would like to be treated.
Also, with a power of attorney, you can designate someone you trust to manage your financial and legal affairs during your period of incapacity. Without such a provision, it may be necessary to go to court and have a conservatorship imposed, which could result in leaving important personal decisions in the hands of a stranger.
Trust and Estate Administration
The administration of a trust or estate is a large responsibility, and there are multiple steps involved. Many individuals prefer to have a professional administer their estate to ensure that it is done correctly and legally to avoid any possible issues. At Ged Lawyers, LLP, we carefully gather and value assets, identify and satisfy debts, creditor claims, and pay taxes, and then carefully distribute the balance to the intended heirs and beneficiaries. You can have peace of mind knowing that our skilled professionals are administering your estate.
Elder Law
At Ged Lawyers, LLP, we are often called upon to focus on the needs of olders clients or family members. We do this by advising them and their loved ones on a broad variety of planning techniques and other directives to ensure that they have their legal needs met. We will address any long-term care or nursing home needs, counseling individuals on disability planning, how to maintain control of their assets, and other essential estate planning strategies as they may concern older adults.
Help with Comprehensive Florida Estate Planning
It is never too early to create an estate plan, but if you put it off too long, it can be too late. The estate plan should also be reviewed and updated as wishes or needs change, or as life events such as marriages, divorces, births and deaths change the family dynamic. For thoughtful, deliberate estate planning and a comprehensive approach to wills, trusts and estates, contact Ged Lawyers, LLP in Boca Raton. We serve clients in Florida statewide.
