At the Law Offices of Michael E. Marquez, our estate planning lawyers help San Mateo County families prepare their estates to assure their final wishes are known and followed. We draft wills and trusts and provide effective will contest advice to couples and individuals throughout the Bay Area. If you have questions about wills or trusts, contact our San Francisco estate planning lawyer to discuss your needs in a free initial consultation. 1
Estate planning isn’t just for wealthy old people. If you’re an adult, you need an estate plan. This spells out what happens to your property when you die. While the law provides default rules for people who don’t specify their intentions, you might be surprised by what those rules say. 2
An estate plan is created to reach the specific goals of the estate owner. A number of tools may be utilized to ensure the best possible distribution of assets. The basic instruments used in estate planning are listed below. However, individual estate plans depend on the size of the estate, the number of beneficiaries, and the purpose of distributions. 3
Each year the Boston Estate Planning Council honors one individual from within its membership who has made a significant contribution to his or her profession. Michael L. Brown, JD, CPA has been selected by the Boston Estate Planning Council as its 2008 Estate Planner of the Year, in recognition of his contributions to the estate planning profession. Since 1990, this award has represented the highest honor the association can bestow upon its members and industry colleagues. Mr. Brown, an Accredited Estate Planner who has more than 30 years experience in estate, financial and tax planning, is the managing director of the Boston firm UHY Advisors, NE, LLC. 4
If you are at a stage in your life where you know it is time to consider establishing a well-grounded estate preservation plan, you may not know all of the questions to ask. Do you need to consider tax planning? What about passing down your estate through a trust fund? Who can I trust that will understand my goals for preserving my estate? For answers to your estate planning questions, contact San Francisco estate planning attorney David Bromley today. 5
Planning your estate is one of the most important decisions you can make in your life. Due to highly complicated and fluctuating laws, an experienced, knowledgeable attorney can be an invaluable asset when planning your estate. Protect your legacy and the future security of your loved ones today. 6