Prepare for the Future

Estate Planning

No one knows what tomorrow may bring, but there are some inevitabilities for which you can prepare. You have worked too hard to risk your personal security or the legacy you wish to leave.  PallaSinclair Law Offices works with clients to establish and individually tailor estate plans they can count on.  Guard against the unpredictable and leave instructions you feel confident about. Whether your estate is substantial or modest, we can help you design an estate plan that fits your unique circumstances and addresses your concerns.

Well-thought-out estate plans allow clients to provide protection for their property, finances and medical care.

Depending on your circumstances, you should consider the following:

Do you want to maximize giving to your heirs?

Preserve a vacation home?

Provide for a child with special needs?

Appoint a decision-maker in case you become incapacitated?

To address these concerns and others, rely on us to help you construct your comprehensive estate plan.  Services offered include:

• Will drafting, review, and execution
• Living Trusts
• Supplemental Needs Trusts
• Advanced Health Care Directives (living wills)
• Powers of Attorney
• Estate and gift tax issues
• Guardianships and Conservatorships
• Choosing the appropriate Personal Representative or Executor
• Special Administrator appointments

Estate plans can include instructions not only for distributing your property after you’ve passed but also for handling decisions in the event you can no longer make them for yourself. Though it may be difficult to think about your mortality, clear and thorough plans can remove the fear of uncertainty. We can help with:

• Wills — Your last will and testament provides the opportunity to distribute property, establish care for children and otherwise express your final wishes. A will is the primary means by which you can leave property to a person or entity other than a blood relative.
• Trusts — Trusts are flexible instruments that allow you to put conditions on gifts and provide an allowance for a beneficiary rather than a lump sum. When you set up a living trust, for example, you can enjoy your property during your lifetime and transfer wealth seamlessly at your passing, helping your loved ones avoid probate.
• Advance directives — Advance directives allow you to clearly articulate your preferences for medical treatment and lifesaving interventions. They can set forth instructions on various matters, including who should serve as your healthcare proxy (power of attorney) if you are incapacitated. Advance directives can also include DNR orders.
• Guardianships — If you have minor children, it is important to plan for their care in the event that you and their other parent pass away. While you can name a guardian in your will, the court will need to appoint them to serve in that capacity. Choosing a reliable, capable and trustworthy guardian can help ensure your children grow up feeling cared for and loved.

Knowing that you have planned for the long-term well-being and financial security of your loved ones can be comforting and gives you peace of mind. Our attorneys at PallaSinclair Law Offices thoroughly analyze your estate planning objectives and work with you to strategize the best means of transferring your assets, minimizing taxes, establishing guardianship and supporting philanthropic causes.

Contact a trusted Maine estate planning law firm

For comprehensive estate planning services in Maine, call PallaSinclair Law Offices at 207-560-3029 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation at our Westbrook office.