Our diverse and extensive estate practice includes advising clients on all aspects of estate planning and administration, including but not limited to the following:
- Wills
- Testamentary Trusts for children and grandchildren, etc.
- Revocable Living Trusts
- Special Needs Trusts for disabled individuals
- Probate Administration
- Trust Administration
- Tax Planning
- Gifting
- Transfers of family businesses
- Financial Power of Attorneys
- Health Care Power of Attorneys
- Declarations to Physicians
- Asset Planning for long term nursing home care and Medicaid eligibility
- Guardianships for adults and minors
- Custodianships
In conducting estate planning for clients we strive to match an estate plan with a client’s individual needs. We do not engage in “cookie-cutter” estate planning that involves the use of only one type of planning tool, such as a revocable living trust, for all clients regardless of their need.
Our estate planning practice includes not only devising an estate plan after analysis of the client’s circumstances, but also includes counseling our clients on the pros and cons of all of the many options available to them to meet their needs. This involves detailed analysis of the client’s finances, family circumstances and the client’s goals. Depending on a particular client’s circumstances, the best estate plan can involve nothing more than a basic will and probate coupled with power of attorneys, or may require a more complex plan that involves the use of trusts for asset protection, probate avoidance, or tax planning purposes. Regardless of the type of estate planning utilized, prior to putting the plan in place, we will make sure that the client fully understands how the plan works and why the recommended plan is necessary and most suitable to meet their needs.
For more information on our estate planning practice, or to set an appointment for a consultation, please contact Attorney Jerome P. Mercer or Attorney Robert K. Ginther.