{"id":73,"date":"2019-06-04T21:46:39","date_gmt":"2019-06-04T21:46:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/callenderpllc.com\/?page_id=73"},"modified":"2021-04-27T18:24:26","modified_gmt":"2021-04-28T00:24:26","slug":"estate-planning","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/callenderlawfirm.com\/index.php\/practice-areas\/estate-planning\/","title":{"rendered":"Estate Planning, Trusts, & Probate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Estate Planning<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Protecting and securing your wealth is essential to ensuring that your needs, and those of your family members or beneficiaries, are adequately satisfied now and in the future. The Callender Law Firm<\/a> is committed to helping clients safeguard their assets, and minimize the negative effects of taxation and associated costs, through effective, innovative, and thoughtful estate planning<\/strong><\/em> specifically tailored to our client\u2019s goals. Our principal goal is to work with you to design and implement individualized strategies that satisfy your estate planning and wealth transfer goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Estate Planning in the COVID-19 Era.<\/strong> The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in an era of global economic distress, serious concerns for safety, health, and well-being of young and old alike, and tremendous uncertainty for the future. Now more than ever before, individuals recognize the need to create estate plans … or, update their existing estate planning strategies<\/strong><\/em> to better benefit from changes in asset values and state and Federal tax rules brought on by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Now is the time to act.<\/strong><\/em> We are here to help! Do not delay, Contact us today!<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Estate Planning & Why You Need an Estate Plan<\/span>.<\/strong> Contrary to popular myth, estate planning is for everyone<\/em>. It is not just for wealthy individuals. Estate Planning<\/em><\/strong> is a legal process by which an individual organizes his or her financial and personal estates by implementing a suitable combination of specific legal instruments for carrying out the individual’s present and future goals (including in the event of incapacity or death) for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. management, control, protection, and distribution of financial assets, real property, and personal property, and<\/li>
  2. designation of guardians and ensuring medical directives are implemented. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    You need an Estate Plan if any of the following is true: <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. You want to get your affairs in order and create a comprehensive plan to manage affairs in event of death or disability.<\/li>
    2. You want to provide for and protect a spouse.<\/li>
    3. You want to provide for and protect children and\/ or grandchildren.<\/li>
    4. Upon your death, you desire to automatically transfer real estate to a specified beneficiary or beneficiaries without the need for probate.<\/li>
    5. You want to reduce your estate taxes.<\/li>
    6. You want to avoid probate.<\/li>
    7. You want to plan for the transfer and survival of a family business.<\/li>
    8. You want to protect your assets from lawsuits or creditors.<\/li>
    9. You’re getting married and want to protect your assets from a failed marriage.<\/li>
    10. You want to protect your children’s inheritance from the possibility of failed marriages.<\/li>
    11. You want to protect your children’s inheritance in the event of a surviving spouse’s remarriage.<\/li>
    12. You want to plan for a child with disabilities or special needs.<\/li>
    13. In case of disability, you want to avoid a conservatorship.<\/li>
    14. You want to preserve privacy of matters, in case of disability or at death, from business competitors, dishonest persons and curiosity seekers.<\/li>
    15. You want to disinherit a family member. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      In Texas<\/em><\/strong> and New<\/em> York<\/em><\/strong>, an estate plan consisting of a last will & testament<\/em>, one or more trusts, Transfer on Death Deeds (Texas clients only), durable power of attorney, medical power of attorney, and physician directives<\/em><\/span> satisfy the estate planning goals of many of our clients. While New York does not have a Transfer on Death Deed statute, we accomplish the same effect (of seamlessly transferring real estate upon death without need for probate) by employing additional instruments.<\/em> We are present and available to assist you with your estate plan.<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      As your attorney and counselor, Callender Law Firm<\/strong><\/em> will help you devise a comprehensive and individualized plan that may include, as appropriate, one or more of the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n