Estate Planning

Do you know what would happen legally - to you, your loved ones, your money and everything else you care about – if something unexpected happened to you?

If you don’t know exactly what would happen for everyone you love and everything you own, then the first step is to find out exactly what would happen, legally and financially, so that you can decide if the current state of your affairs is okay with you.

PLANNING FOR THE ONES YOU LOVE

We are all unique. Your childhood experiences were different than your best friend, your job duties are different, your family situations are different, and so on. It turns out we aren’t all the same, that’s why estate planning is an individualized process and can’t be accomplished with the standardized DIY tools found on the internet.

You may be single, married, have children or not. The one common denominator is that you truly and deeply care about the people in your life and you want to make things as easy as possible for them, if and when something happens to you.

Your wealth isn’t measured just by the dollars in the bank, but by the well-being of the people you love.

Our process begins with a Life & Legacy Planning Session. Before the Session you will complete homework that will have you feeling more organized and put together than you have in a long time. Maybe ever.

During the Session, we will look at what would happen to all of what you have and everyone you love, if anything were to happen to you.

Then, we’ll determine a plan together to make sure everything goes the way you want it to so you are always in control. And so your family always knows just how much you care.

Should we decide there are things we can do to take care of your family better than they are taken care of now, we will present you with planning options that allow you to decide on your fee and the level of service that is right for you and your family.

The foundation of your estate plan will often include a revocable living trust; you transfer your property into this trust for your benefit during your life. One of the benefits of a revocable living trust is that, when done correctly and maintained over time, your estate plan should help your family to avoid the cost and delay of probate and minimize or eliminate estate taxes.

We Are Professional Estate Planners

Your Personal Family Lawyer®at Bowers & del Peral, PLLC will educate you, take the time to get to know you, your family, your concerns, your goals and your issues and will gladly and patiently answer all your questions to produce an estate plan that is exactly right for you and will keep your loved one’s out of court and out of conflict.

If you are a family with young children, then your estate plan should begin with a foundation that ensures your children would always be taken care of, no matter what happens. At Bowers & del Peral, PLLC, one of our areas of greatest joy is protecting minor children.

Can I DIY My Estate Plan?

Unfortunately, most plans don't work because much of what passes for estate planning is little more than word processing. You are asked a few questions and then the drafter decides which "plan" is right for you, and fits you into a template. This is not estate planning; it is little more than a “search and replace” of your family’s name and then a hit of the “print” button which spits out form documents.

We know you are busy and promise to make the process as simple and easy for you as possible to plan well for everyone you love and everything you own. To get started right away, call our office at (518) 392-9550 to schedule an appointment.

Expedited and Meticulous Document Preparation

After assessing your needs and developing a customized estate plan, drafts of documents are meticulously prepared and produced, typically, within two weeks of the initial meeting.

Client Education

We take the time to thoroughly review and understand your needs and objectives before formulating your personal estate plan. And then we ensure that you fully understand exactly how your estate plans works.