Estate Planning
Helping you provide for yourself and your loved ones is our goal. Your estate, no matter how big or small deserves professional attention to ensure that your wishes are followed without causing unnecessary red tape, financial expense and confusion. We will counsel you on the various estate planning tools such as wills and a variety of trusts. We will explain and personalize financial and medical durable powers of attorney and living wills to protect your intentions during periods of your disability or at the time of your passing.
Whether you are young or old, married, partners in a civil union or single, do not have children or are parents, there are always reasons for completing an estate plan. By planning your estate, you can save your loved ones from having to deal with a chaotic situation in the event you become incapacitated or pass away. In addition, proper estate planning will ensure that you have the control of choosing the person who will be in charge of your assets should you not be able to make your own decisions, who will make medical decisions for you and who will distribute your assets according to your wishes when you die.
While you might be able to legally create your own estate planning documents with online tools, quite often, without the proper legal advice, mistakes are made that often cost the family far more money than had an attorney properly prepared the documents and counseled the family from the beginning. Drafting an estate plan with an expert is the best way to ensure that your plan acts in the way you intended and that your loved ones are secure in the legacy you have provided.
Probate
The probate of a will after death is far less complicated with careful estate planning in advance. But whether or not your deceased loved one had a will, We bring informed compassion to the administration of a person’s estate at a difficult time. A common first question can be, what is probate? Probate is the process of changing assets from the name of the person who died to the name of the individual who is meant to inherit the asset or possession. Not all of a person’s belongings need to go through probate. If a person owned life insurance or an IRA with a beneficiary designation, those funds can go directly to the beneficiary without going through probate. Additionally, if all of the assets were owned in joint tenancy or in a trust, then probate might not be necessary.
When a probate does become necessary, the State of Colorado has set up a system that has made this process fairly uncomplicated. However, there are still proper procedures to follow and a lot of work involved in closing out the financial end of someone’s life. Our job is to guide you through the process and remove as much stress as possible at a difficult time.
Long Term Care Planning
The aging process presents practical and legal disabilities that can seem overwhelming. Estate planning, disability and long term care planning all fall under the umbrella of elder law. We are passionate about helping clients understand and address these issues. Seniors deserve to enjoy their later years and not be burdened with worries about incapacity, long-term care and public benefits such as Medicaid.
There is a lot of bad information out there about Medicaid rules, how assets can be protected and what happens to a Medicaid recipient’s assets when they die. We help ensure families are informed and knowledgeable of their options. We can assist them in either preparing in advance for long term care or helping once a loved one has entered a nursing facility, assisted living or is receiving care at home.
Helping families preserve assets while qualifying for Medicaid is one of our specialties. People who have worked hard their entire life deserve the ability to control their hard earned dollars and pass on a legacy. We can assist your family through the complexities of Medicaid and preserve money without jeopardizing the care that an elderly family member is receiving.