Estate Planning Attorney in Chandler
Have you considered what will happen to your property after you pass? Many people wait to plan their estates, thinking it is something that only older people or the ultra-wealthy do. The truth is that everyone can benefit from estate planning, no matter their age or financial situation. But first, it’s important to understand what estate planning is and how it can help protect your assets and safeguard your family’s future.
That’s where an estate planning attorney comes in. An experienced lawyer can use various tools such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and more to help preserve your assets and specify your wishes. A solid estate plan can also prevent legal disputes or protracted court battles by clearly outlining your wishes before you die or become incapacitated.
Brown & Hobkirk, PLLC is a full-service Arizona law firm that helps clients develop customized estate plans that work to meet their needs and goals. Let us help protect what you’ve earned and build a lasting legacy to leave your loved ones. Contact us today for an initial consultation with our Chandler estate planning lawyers.
What is Estate Planning?
Everyone has an estate, no matter how large or small. Your estate includes your home, vehicle, other real estate, bank accounts, savings, retirement accounts, investments, life insurance, and personal possessions. After you die, ownership of the property in your estate will pass to others. This transfer of ownership can occur without a will via Arizona’s intestate succession laws. However, the state’s rules for the disposition of your assets may not align with your preferences.
You can control who gets your property through formal estate planning. Estate planning can protect your and your family’s wealth by passing assets from generation to generation while minimizing losses due to taxes, creditors, or legal expenses. If the unthinkable happens, estate planning can also help protect your family by documenting your instructions and putting legal structures in place that enable you or other family members to respond when your family’s circumstances suddenly change.
Understanding Your Estate Planning Needs
An effective estate plan will combine various legal tools to meet your personal and financial goals. Some of the ways that an estate plan can benefit you and your family include:
- Documenting your instructions for inheritances and property distribution after your death
- Providing directions for medical or end-of-life care if you become incapacitated
- Authorizing trusted loved ones to make legal, financial, medical, or business decisions on your behalf
- Making arrangements to secure long-term care if you become permanently disabled, including qualifying for means-tested government benefits like Medicaid
- Nominating guardians for your minor children or dependents if you and your partner both pass away
- Protecting your loved one’s inheritances from potential threats like creditors, divorce settlements, overspending, or addiction issues
- Minimizing tax liabilities through strategic gifting
Your estate plan may include tools and legal structures, such as:
- A will
- Trusts, such as living trusts, irrevocable trusts, Medicaid trusts, or special needs trusts
- Living wills
- Advance directives and medical powers of attorney
- Financial/legal powers of attorney
- Joint tenancies/tenancies by the entirety
- Beneficiary or transfer/pay-on-death designations
- Guardianship designations
- Charitable giving
- Business succession planning
Estate Planning at Brown & Hobkirk, PLLC
At Brown & Hobkirk, PLLC our estate planning attorney Chandler offers initial consultations so you can speak with an attorney about your estate planning options. You will have an in-depth conversation with one of our attorneys covering various topics, including your family situation, finances, overall health, and long-term goals. Understanding your personal circumstances, goals, and wishes will enable us to suggest potential estate planning solutions tailored to your needs.
Consider bringing the following documents to maximize the benefits of your consultation:
- A list of beneficiaries you want to inherit from you
- A description of specific assets you want to leave to loved ones
- A list of your financial/retirement accounts and properties
- Prenuptial agreements/divorce settlements
- Important contracts like operating agreements for companies you own
- A list of questions you want to ask about estate planning
Our estate lawyers recognize that estate planning is a lifelong process rather than a one-time event. We will conduct periodic reviews of your estate plan as laws and your family’s circumstances change, including marriages, births, divorces, or financial successes. This ongoing relationship will ensure that your estate plan stays up-to-date and employs the best strategies to benefit you, both now and in the long run.
Why Choose Estate Planning Attorney Chandler?
An experienced estate planning attorney can help you choose and craft tools to carry out your wishes and provide for your loved ones even after your passing. For years, individuals and families in Chandler, AZ, have turned to the estate planning lawyers at Brown & Hobkirk, PLLC because:
- We provide exceptional client service and quality legal representation. We build personal relationships with our clients to better help them explore legal options and guide them through the estate planning process.
- Our top-rated law firm has over 20 years of experience helping people navigate the complexities of estate planning. We have the knowledge and insight to answer your legal questions and guide you to practical solutions.
- Our attorneys don’t take a cookie-cutter approach. We will develop an estate planning strategy customized to you and your family’s specific needs to protect your interests and future.
- Clients work directly with an experienced estate planning attorney. Unlike some firms that pass cases off to junior associates, you will work with the same lawyer from start to finish.
- Our lawyers make client communication a priority. This is your life and legacy we’re helping to shape, so we can talk in person, over the phone, or via video call when you need us.
- Contact a Chandler Estate Planning Lawyer Today
If you want to plan for your future and provide for your loved ones, a well-crafted estate plan can help you achieve your goals. Contact Brown & Hobkirk, PLLC today for a confidential consultation with our Chandler estate planning lawyers.