Estate Planning

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Reinhart's Trusts and Estates Practice helps individuals achieve their basic estate planning objectives while minimizing estate and gift taxes, if necessary. Our attorneys create flexible estate plans to allow clients to respond to future changes to the family, tax laws or economic conditions. We regularly provide counsel on the following types of estate planning documents:

The revocable living trust acts as the centerpiece of a client's estate plan because as it either holds the client's assets during lifetime or receives them after death. The trust agreement specifies who receives the client's assets upon death. If a trust is fully funded during life, it may provide for property management during a disability or illness. If a trust is fully funded and/or beneficiary designations are properly coordinated to fund the trust immediately upon death, the costly and time‑consuming process of probate may be avoided. A revocable living trust can be changed or revoked at any time during a client's life.

A will can work as the main dispositive document or as a "pour-over" to a revocable living trust. With a "pour‑over" will, the client's assets are added to his or her revocable trust at death. A will is also the only estate planning document in which a guardian for minor children may be appointed.

A Marital Property Agreement simplifies the administration of a client's estate and helps avoid probate.

A Power of Attorney for Property allows for asset management in the event of a client's disability and avoids the need to appoint a legal guardian for those assets.

A Health Care Power of Attorney allows for medical decision‑making in the event of a client's disability, up to and including termination of life‑support systems if you so desire.

A HIPAA authorization permits your doctor to provide your named health care agents access to your medical records in case of an emergency.

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