October 16–22 is National Estate Planning Awareness Week. During this week, many people are reminded that estate planning involves the creation of documents such as trusts, wills, financial powers of attorney, and health care powers of attorney to allow for the handling of their financial and health care decisions during life and after death. There are other aspects of estate planning that deserve to be highlighted as well that are no less significant than the creation of these basic documents.
Below are some of the areas of estate planning we can help with:
- Reviewing documents every five years or after a major life event (marriage, divorce, interstate move, death of a family member, birth of a family member) to ensure they remain consistent with your intent
- Formation of closely held businesses
- Business succession planning
- Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
- Charitable giving, including the creation of a foundation
- Modification of irrevocable trusts
- Tax planning (income, estate, gift, generation skipping transfer tax)
- Planning for special needs individuals
- Advising trustees and other fiduciaries regarding proper trust administration
- Planning for non-citizen spouses
- Guardianships and conservatorships, for minors and for incapacitated adults who do not have financial and health care powers of attorney documents in place
- Administration of trusts and estates
- Filing estate and gift tax returns and fiduciary income tax returns