Wills, Trusts & Estates Lawyer

A well-crafted will is the foundation of any estate plan. We draft wills that clearly express your wishes, minimize the potential for disputes, and comply with state requirements. Living wills ensure your healthcare preferences are honored if you become incapacitated.

Your will determines who receives your assets, who serves as guardian for minor children, and who manages the distribution of your estate. Without a valid will, state law dictates how your property is divided — which may not align with your wishes. We create wills tailored to your specific family situation and financial circumstances.

Living wills (advance healthcare directives) specify your preferences regarding life-sustaining treatment, organ donation, and other medical decisions. Having these documents in place provides peace of mind for you and your family, reducing the burden of difficult decisions during times of crisis.

Trusts offer powerful estate planning benefits including probate avoidance, asset protection, and tax minimization. We help clients establish and administer revocable living trusts, irrevocable trusts, special needs trusts, and other trust vehicles tailored to their goals.

A revocable living trust allows you to maintain control of your assets during your lifetime while ensuring a seamless transfer to your beneficiaries upon death — without the delays and costs of probate. You can modify or revoke the trust at any time as your circumstances change.

Irrevocable trusts offer stronger asset protection and potential tax benefits but cannot be easily modified once created. Special needs trusts allow you to provide for a disabled beneficiary without jeopardizing their eligibility for government benefits. We help you determine which trust structures best serve your family's needs.

When a loved one passes, our attorneys guide executors and administrators through the probate process, including filing court documents, notifying creditors, managing estate assets, preparing accountings, and distributing assets to beneficiaries.

Probate can be a complex and time-consuming process, especially when estates involve assets in multiple states, disputes among beneficiaries, creditor claims, or tax obligations. We handle all legal aspects of estate administration so you can focus on grieving and healing.

We also assist with non-probate transfers, such as retirement accounts, life insurance proceeds, and jointly held property. Our goal is to ensure that the decedent's wishes are honored and that the estate is settled as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

Financial and healthcare powers of attorney ensure that trusted individuals can manage your affairs if you become unable to do so. We draft durable powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and HIPAA authorizations to provide comprehensive protection.

A durable financial power of attorney allows your designated agent to pay bills, manage investments, handle real estate transactions, and make other financial decisions on your behalf. Without this document, your family may need to seek a court-appointed conservatorship — a costly and time-consuming process.

A healthcare power of attorney designates someone to make medical decisions for you when you cannot. Combined with a living will and HIPAA authorization, these documents form a complete healthcare directive package that ensures your treatment preferences are known and respected.

When disputes arise over trust administration, fiduciary duties, or beneficiary rights, our litigation team provides aggressive representation. We handle will contests, trust challenges, breach of fiduciary duty claims, and accountings disputes.

Common trust disputes include allegations that a trustee is mismanaging assets, failing to distribute income to beneficiaries, engaging in self-dealing, or violating the terms of the trust. We represent both trustees defending their actions and beneficiaries seeking to hold trustees accountable.

Will contests may allege undue influence, lack of testamentary capacity, fraud, or improper execution. These cases require careful factual investigation and legal analysis. Our attorneys have the litigation experience to handle contested estate matters effectively in court.

We help families establish guardianships for minor children and conservatorships for incapacitated adults, ensuring vulnerable individuals receive proper care and their assets are managed responsibly under court supervision.

Guardianship may be necessary when a parent is unable to care for their child due to illness, incapacity, military deployment, or other circumstances. We guide families through the court process, prepare necessary documentation, and advocate for arrangements that serve the child's best interests.

Conservatorship is appropriate when an adult can no longer manage their own financial affairs or personal care due to cognitive decline, mental illness, or physical disability. We help families navigate this sensitive process while respecting the dignity and rights of the individual involved.