When a loved one passes away without a will, their assets must be transferred to their heirs through court-managed probate. Jennifer helps families through this difficult process.
She provides individualized estate planning services that include creating irrevocable life insurance trusts to minimize tax exposure and creditors’ claims. She also assists clients in drafting special needs trusts to protect the assets of their disabled or special-needs loved ones.
Planning for the Future
Most people think of estate planning as a matter of distributing their belongings upon death, but it is also a way to ensure that their heirs and beneficiaries are not left to fend for themselves should something happen to them. A top notch estate probate lawyer can help you plan for the future and protect your assets in the event of the worst that ever happens. As an estate planning enthusiast, she can help you put together a plan that meets your needs and your family’s.
Preserving Assets for Future Generations
Some people believe estate planning is little more than deciding who gets what after death, but it’s actually much more complex. A well-crafted estate plan allows a person to ensure that their assets are distributed exactly how they want them to be, while also protecting them from creditors’ claims and potentially harmful tax consequences.
Jennifer helps clients develop custom strategies that allow them to preserve their assets for their desired beneficiaries and for future generations. Her individualized approach includes listening to clients’ financial, medical and family circumstances; working with their investment advisors, accountants and insurance representatives to ensure an integrated approach; and designing plans that anticipate potentially harmful tax implications.
In addition, she is an experienced probate attorney who assists families during the difficult and complicated process of completing estate and trust administration. She often works with grieving families to minimize conflicts and delays while completing the required tasks, including lodging the will, notifying the intended beneficiaries and transferring assets to the appropriate recipients.
Protecting Assets from Creditors’ Claims
When a person dies with no estate plan in place, his or her assets must go through court-managed probate. This process can be arduous, stressful and confusing for heirs and other parties involved in the estate. Jennifer helps her clients complete this process efficiently and in a manner that minimizes conflicts, delays and costs.
She also assists her clients with forming irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs), an option for sheltering life insurance proceeds from creditors and estate taxes. She is also experienced in creating special-needs trusts to protect assets for a disabled or special needs loved one, while ensuring that such a person will still be eligible for government benefits. Her practice is rooted in the belief that a client’s estate plan is more than just a set of instructions for what to do with their belongings after they die; it’s a blueprint for preserving and protecting their lives in all its complexity, and their legacy in all its riches.
Preserving Assets for Disability or Special Needs
A properly crafted estate plan is more than just a collection of legal documents. Jennifer takes the time to understand her clients’ needs and provides them with a holistic service that incorporates the latest legal innovations while ensuring that their most valued assets are protected from creditors, taxation and other nefarious hands. For example, she creates a specialized trust to help fund a disabled loved one’s golden years while still maintaining eligibility for government assistance. She also helps her clients devise an estate plan that will be a legacy for generations to come. In the end, a well-crafted plan is the best way to protect and preserve your wealth for your children, spouse and/or heirs.
