Naples Estate Planning Attorney
It is never too early to begin estate planning. At Ronald Cutler, P.A., our attorneys have met with men and women from various backgrounds to discuss their goals for the future. Some of our clients are afraid of what will happen if they end up incapacitated and cannot speak for themselves. Most are also eager to find out how to leave their estate to their loved ones while minimizing taxes. We are happy they have taken the initiative to create an estate plan.
Whatever your primary concerns, contact our law firm. A Naples estate planning attorney can discuss different estate planning methods. We have deep experience with advance directives, wills and trusts, and asset protection. Let us put this experience to work for you.
How to Prepare for Estate Planning
We recommend that anyone interested in creating an estate plan call our office to schedule a meeting. Here’s how to start the estate planning process:
- Spend time identifying all your assets. Many people don’t realize how much they own. You might have investments you haven’t looked at in decades, like retirement accounts from an old job. Even digital assets can have considerable value. Write down what you own.
- Think about who you want to inherit your estate. Florida empowers people to leave their estate to whomever they want. You can’t completely cut out a spouse, unless he or she agrees to give up their right to an elective share. However, you can choose to cut out your children or other family members.
- Identify responsible adults who might serve as a personal representative. This person plays a critical role in probate after you die. The personal representative will open probate or summary administration. They are also tasked with defending your estate or the will if it is challenged.
- Choose people you trust to make decisions for you while incapacitated. You might slip into a coma or end up with advanced dementia. In these situations, you can’t make choices for yourself or handle your daily affairs. We can create advance directives to appoint someone to make these decisions on your behalf.
- Consider whether you want to give to charity. This is an excellent way to reduce the tax burden on the estate. We can create a trust which provides tax advantages.
- Find any current will or other estate document that you have. We can use it as a springboard when making revisions. Read it over to see what you want to keep, if anything.
These are preliminary steps to put you in the right frame of mind to begin estate planning. Once hired, we can delve deeper into your concerns and objectives.
Why Naples Estate Planning Attorney Ronald Cutler?
Our firm has deep experience in taxation, corporate law, and elder law. We understand how to maximize the value of your estate while simplifying the probate process for your loved ones. Estate planning is complicated. Avoid easy “cookie cutter” plans you might find online. Instead, contact our firm to speak with a Naples estate planning attorney.