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Estate Planning & Trusts

At The Erb Law Firm, PC, we recognize that no two clients’ goals and needs are the same. We work closely with you and your financial advisors to determine the best plan and advice for your individual situation. We believe that Estate Planning encompasses more than a well-drafted Will. We use our experience and knowledge to create documents that work together as a complete plan.

Our Estate Planning services take into account your assets, liabilities, income, age, familial situation, plans and goals for the future. An integral part of the plan is sound financial and medical planning during your lifetime. This may include a Financial Power of Attorney, Health Care Power of Attorney and a Living Will (for more information, check out our Myths about Living Wills).

Protecting your assets during and after your lifetime is a key part of solid estate planning. This can often be accomplished through the use of trusts. We have experience with a variety of trust planning and trust administration, including asset protection and off shore trusts, qualified personal residence trusts and irrevocable trusts. We will also work closely with your insurance providers to create insurance trusts that can be used to pay estate taxes, provide for business succession and many other situations.

It is also important to plan for your family’s education, health and well-being. In addition to planning for the distribution of wealth at death, your estate plan should consider designations of guardianship, educational savings tools such as education savings plans (formerly called Education IRA’s) and Section 529 plans, and Special needs trusts for family members that may need additional financial consideration due to government or other benefits. For more information on Section 529 programs, see Kelly's newsletter article.

Special consideration and expertise is also a factor in planning for Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care and nursing facility costs. As part of our Elder Law services, we provide much needed assistance on these issues for seniors. For contact information on benefits, download our list of important numbers.

Business owners often face particular challenges when planning distribution of assets. Business succession planning is a large segment of our estate planning services. Our combination of business and tax expertise means that you get the best advice when planning the continuity or sale of your business or assets.

Both business owners and professionals need to consider equity plans and retirement plans when contemplating an estate plan. At The Erb Law Firm, PC, we work with your investment and financial advisors to coordinate your IRAs, ESOPs, Educational Savings Plans, 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, stock options and other benefits as an important part of your estate plan.