ESTATE PLANNING

Estate planning is done by individuals during their lifetime to arrange for the distribution of their assets after death.  Having a comprehensive estate plan prevents family disputes and additional heartache, and ensures that assets are distributed in the intended manner of the deceased.  It also helps insulate a person’s assets from being depleted by long-term care costs during life and from estate taxes after death.  Most importantly, a proper plan ensures that minor children are protected and cared for in the unlikely event that both parents suffer an untimely passing.

Estate planning can help maximize an estate’s value by reducing taxes and other expenses. The legal complexities governing this area are vast. It is thus crucial for individuals to obtain the guidance of experienced legal counsel in connection with such planning.

An appropriate estate plan should include a Will, Power of Attorney and Health Care Proxy, and where appropriate, one or more Trusts.

As a subspecialty, Greenwald Weiss offers estate planning that is in compliance with Jewish laws of wills and inheritance.