Estate planning is more than signing a set of documents — it’s putting a coordinated plan in place that reflects how you want your assets handled, who’s in charge if you can’t act, and how your family is provided for. Below is an overview of the core areas I work on with clients.
Wills
A will directs how your remaining assets are distributed and names an executor to settle your estate. For clients with minor children, it’s also where guardians are named. Depending on your situation, a will may work as a standalone document or as part of a broader plan that includes a trust, in which case it serves as a backstop to direct any assets not already transferred into the trust.
Trusts
A revocable living trust holds and manages your assets during your lifetime and passes them to your beneficiaries after death, without going through probate. Because the trust remains private, it avoids the public filings and court oversight that come with probate administration. Trusts also offer more flexibility than a will alone, particularly for clients with specific goals around timing of distributions, blended families, or out-of-state property.
Incapacity Planning
Incapacity planning covers what happens if you’re unable to make decisions for yourself, whether temporarily or permanently.
- Durable Power of Attorney — Names someone to handle financial and legal matters on your behalf, remaining in effect even after incapacity occurs.
- Health Care Proxy — Names someone to make medical decisions for you if you’re unable to communicate your wishes.
- Living Will — Puts your preferences for life-sustaining treatment in writing, so your family and health care providers have clear direction.
Together, these documents make sure someone you trust and choose — not a court — is making decisions on your behalf.
Learn more about incapacity planning.
Beneficiary Designations
Retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and certain other assets pass according to their beneficiary designations, regardless of what your will says. Reviewing and updating these designations is a key part of making sure your overall plan works as intended, especially after major life events like marriage, divorce, or the birth of a child.
Counseling
Every plan is different. I work with clients to understand their assets, family situation, and goals, and to help them make informed decisions about the structure of their plan — including which documents make sense, how to title assets, and how to keep the plan up to date as circumstances change over time.