Historically, people have used the last will and testament to communicate their estate planning desires. A person’s will controls the disposition of their estate unless the estate assets are governed by some form of third party agreement such as a beneficiary designation. Drafting a will allows you to…

• Define who gets your property (some assets like life insurance and retirement assets aren't governed by your will);
• Designate who will be in charge of implementing your instructions (Executor/Personal Representative);
• Designate who will be the guardian of minor children or disabled dependents;
• Establish the terms that govern when beneficiaries will receive assets (usually involves trusts of some kind);
• Plan for estate taxes.

Our estate planning team is well versed in estate and gift tax laws, property transfer laws and requirements, and probate laws.