Estate Planning Attorney in Long Island
Estate planning is an essential part of protecting your legacy. Through proper estate planning, you can dictate what should happen to your assets, how the ones you love should be taken care of, and what choices should be made about your healthcare. Estate planning ensures that you and your family are prepared and protected.
The Long Island estate planning lawyers at Chaves Perlowitz Luftig LLP have decades of experience helping people with everything from simple wills to complex trusts. We can help you craft smart solutions for handling your wealth and your legacy. To talk to an estate planning lawyer on Long Island for free, call us today or contact us online.
How Our Long Island Estate Planning Lawyers Can Help You
It is important to have the right estate planning lawyers on your side as you begin to work through the best ways to preserve your legacy. At Chaves Perlowitz Luftig LLP, our Long Island estate planning attorneys can help you through the process from start to finish by:
- Answering your questions, discussing your goals, and helping you build a plan to achieve them
- Drafting a comprehensive strategy for you, including writing a will and setting up trusts, a healthcare proxy, and power of attorney to meet your needs
- Discussing how state law and taxes may affect your plans
- Identifying potential challenges and mapping out a strategy to avoid them
- Managing probate administration
To learn more about how our experienced Long Island estate planning attorneys can help, contact Chaves Perlowitz Luftig LLP today.
Creating a Last Will and Testament
Your last will and testament is the document that outlines your last wishes and dictates how an executor should handle your estate. A will can determine what happens to your assets and who inherits them. By having a will in place, you are ensuring that your wishes are clear to those you leave behind.
Unfortunately, many people pass away without having a will in place. When that occurs, the state applies its default rules. Assets may be given to people whom you would not have chosen. The estate may face taxes and other issues that an estate plan could have avoided.
At Chaves Perlowitz Luftig LLP, we believe everyone should have a will, no matter whether you are just starting to build a family and legacy or are getting ready for your golden years. If you need advice on drafting a will, speak with one of our Long Island estate planning attorneys today.
Creating a Healthcare Proxy
A healthcare proxy allows you to empower another person to make healthcare decisions for you. This is especially important to have in place in the event that you ever become unable to speak or act for yourself due to old age or illness. It is crucial that you make clear how you want your medical decisions handled and who should be in charge. A healthcare proxy also takes the burden off others by making your wishes clear.
An attorney from Chaves Perlowitz Luftig LLP can draft a healthcare proxy that ensures your voice is heard no matter what happens.
Designating a Power of Attorney
At some point in your life, you may need someone else to make decisions about your financial and legal matters. By granting a power of attorney to someone you trust, you can hand off important decision-making powers when you are unable to make those decisions on your own.
By working with a Long Island estate planning lawyer at Chaves Perlowitz Luftig LLP, you can decide what decision-making powers someone will have and when they will be permitted to use them. Drafting a power of attorney document before you need it can safeguard your estate and give you peace of mind about the future.
Protecting Your Assets with a Trust
Trusts are a valuable part of the estate planning process that many people overlook. Trusts can be set up during your lifetime or established as part of your last will and testament. A trust may allow you to protect your assets, avoid the probate process, and obtain certain tax benefits. A trust can also allow you to make provision for others while giving you some control over the trust assets and when they become available to your loved ones.
An estate planning attorney can review your assets and help you understand what types of trusts may best work for you.
Probate Administration
Probate administration is the process of settling an estate. Probate involves gathering records and assets, paying taxes and debts, and distributing assets as described in the will or according to state law. The probate process can be a stressful and complicated experience, especially if an estate has numerous assets and debts or if others decide to contest the will. The process can also be complicated if the deceased left no will and probate must be handled according to the state’s default rules.
Throughout the probate administration process, an attorney from Chaves Perlowitz Luftig LLP can handle notifications, manage assets and debts, and take care of the estate with integrity. Having our attorneys on your side will take this burden off you and your family.
Talk to a Long Island Estate Planning Attorney Now
Do not put off planning for your family’s future. Contact Chaves Perlowitz Luftig LLP. Our knowledgeable Long Island attorneys are available to help you start an estate plan from scratch, update your current plans, or simply address any questions you may have. With decades of experience, the legal team of Chaves Perlowitz Luftig LLP has the skill to help you protect your wealth and your legacy.
For a free consultation, call us today or contact us online.