Why Do You Need an Estate Plan?
A sound Estate Plan can bring you:
- Peace of mind . . . security . . . confidence
- Do you know how your children will be cared for if the unexpected happens?
- Do you feel secure that your loved ones will be protected if you’re gone?
- Will your assets be diminished by estate taxes?
- We all have plans – but are yours known and provided for in the future?
Handle Your Future with Care
Don’t be caught unprepared. Anyone who has an interest in what will happen to their children or their property, or who wants to eliminate estate taxes after they are gone needs to give thoughtful consideration to estate planning and asset protection. We have worked with clients for over 35 years to navigate these issues with ease and peace of mind.
The Astill law firm meets your legal needs by focusing its practice in the following areas:
- Wills and Living Trusts
- Life Insurance Planning
- Estate Tax Elimination
- Trusts and Guardianship for Minors
- Durable Powers of Attorney
- Health Care Directives
- Asset Protection
- Family Business Succession
- Avoidance of Probate Court
- Trust and Probate Court Administration
- Elder Law
- Supplemental Needs Trusts
Property Distribution
Estate planning is to ensure that your assets are distributed to the persons you choose, and to manage your personal finances if you are incapacitated. Only a Will or Living Trust can help you control the use of your assets. Otherwise the probate court makes legal decisions for you. It is important to take control and ensure that your wishes will be carried out while you have the ability to do so.
Guardians and Trusts for Children
What is more precious to you than your children? You work every day to provide for them and keep them safe. Don’t you want to do the same for their future? When the parents of minor children die without a Will, the probate court determines who their guardian will be and would give the children their inheritance, including life insurance, at age 18. Only a Will and Trust can avoid this result and preserve your hard-earned assets for their benefit.
Taxes
The reduction or elimination of federal estate tax and inheritance tax is an essential part of any sound estate plan. Our experience helps you minimize your taxes now and reduce or eliminate estate tax consequences your heirs face in the future. Strategies include using asset protection techniques, irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILIT), limited liability companies (LLC), dynasty trusts, charitable remainder trusts (CRUT), and charitable foundations.
Health Care Decisions
Do you want to avoid having a machine keep you alive while also draining your family’s savings? You can plan for and appoint someone to help you if you cannot help yourself – incapacity due to accident or illness. A “living will” or health care proxy and directive allow you to make decisions in advance if you are stricken with a terminal disease or injury and permit a trusted relative or friend to make healthcare decisions for you. Durable general powers of attorney and health care proxies and directives are important legal considerations we discuss with our Utah estate planning clients.
Trusts
Trusts can provide protection and direction for the benefit of you and your family. Living Trusts can assist in the management of your estate and provide for your needs if you become incapacitated. A living trust allows you to remain in control until you die and makes it possible to avoid probate court.
Life Insurance and Retirement Benefits
Life insurance and retirement benefits often constitute the largest portion of a client’s estate. Failing to properly include beneficiary designations and/or trusts to manage these assets can be detrimental to your heirs. We often recommend life insurance trusts and designate living trusts as beneficiaries to help protect heirs from creditors and lack of experience.
Protecting your future is our goal. Our commitment to you is to provide the expertise you need with prompt, reliable, and competent estate planning attorneys. We serve the Salt Lake City, Sandy and South Valley areas and the entire Utah estate planning community.