Estate Planning, Wills & Trusts

A good estate plan is a lasting gift to those you love.

You work hard to create a secure lifestyle for yourself and your loved ones. But have you put a plan in place to maintain that security in the event of your disability or death?

Your estate is the collection of all of the property –real and personal– you own upon your death. When a person dies, the ownership of the person’s property must be transferred to others. Your estate plan, which typically includes a will and trust,  determines how those assets are transferred and to whom. Without an estate plan, state law answers those questions.

Planning for an estate is important. Whether your estate is large or small; whether you are self-employed, have conventional employment, or are retired; whether you have a traditional or non-traditional family; whether you are 35 or 75, there are many options you need to consider to protect your property and the people you love.

An estate plan can accomplish many goals, including:

• Lowering taxes owed by your estate or heirs
• Simplifying or eliminating probate
• Appointing guardians for your children
• Achieving charitable donations
• Appointing the right people to carry out your wishes
• Creating trusts to provide for the support of minor children or those with special needs

Many aspects of the traditional estate plan are similar from one plan to the next. But, increasingly, our families are not “traditional” and we need estate plans, including wills and trusts, that take that fact into account. Unmarried couples (with or without children), blended families, LGBT families, all need someone who is willing to discuss with them their unique issues.

Estate planning is not a simple one-step process, but with more than fourteen years of professional experience in the industry, Gayle is well equipped to guide you through the process, identify your individual needs, and develop an estate plan that makes sense and achieves your goals.