Estate Planning
Because it can be difficult to ponder our own mortality, too many people neglect to create a plan for when they die. Without an estate plan, your loved ones are left without proper guidance and the Probate Court assumes control of distributing your property. Nearly everyone has an estate—personal property, real property, financial accounts, etc.—and the most considerate act you can do now for your loved ones is to create a plan for what happens to your property if you become incapacitated or when you die.
At Ambrosi & Doerges, we will use our combined decades of experience in Estate Planning to help you build an estate plan that suits your needs. We will work with you, your accountant, and other important contacts to learn the extent of your estate and your wishes for it, and you will gain peace of mind knowing that your estate plan will protect your loved ones and your assets when you are unable to speak for yourself.
We are a full-service firm for Estate Planning. At minimum, your estate plan will likely involve the following items:
- A Living Trust
- A Certification of Trust
- A Pour-Over Will
- Durable Powers of Attorney for Finance and Health Care
- Trust Estate/List of Assets
- Assignment of Personal Property
- Funding documents
- Tax planning
Our personal touch guarantees you will receive a complete estate plan. We have had several clients come to us after working with companies or firms that offer “cheap” estate plans, only to find out that these plans were incorrectly drafted or otherwise incomplete. Often, these same clients have not been properly advised on how to fund the trusts they established, meaning the trusts would have failed.
At Ambrosi & Doerges, our attorneys will thoughtfully consider you and your unique situation and goals. Whether you are single, married, childless, a parent, a stepparent, young, or old, we will help you achieve the right layers of Estate Planning. More than that, we will help you review and update your plans as your life changes.
For those who have minor children or dependents with special needs, we can assist you in creating a plan to take care of your loved ones. For the latter, we can establish a Special Needs Trust within our documents, and in addition to your child’s inheritance being protected, he or she can continue to receive any government assistance they may have, so you can have peace of mind that your child will be financially looked after when you are gone. We also can initiate Conservatorships in the event your loved one lacks the capacity to make decisions and you need to act on his or her behalf to make health and/or financial decisions.
Another area where we assist many clients is in protecting income property—residential or commercial rental property. We assist in creating LLCs to protect the family’s other assets in the event of an injury on the property, etc.
Because our firm is a member of WealthCounsel, you will receive the benefits of our association with that member network and its thoughtful leadership and innovative solutions. While we will help anyone with any size estate, most of our clients’ net worth is between $1 and $5 million, with some above $10 million. A sizeable estate frequently requires a more sophisticated plan, including vehicles such as Family Limited Partnerships and Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts. You can be assured that we will provide you with the right documentation to protect your wealth.
At Ambrosi & Doerges, we want to be more than your Estate Planning attorneys. We strive to be your family’s counsel. Your family can turn to us when it is time to enact your estate plan, and we can represent you in other legal matters.
If you want to avoid Probate Court, keep your estate matters private, and be certain that your wishes will be followed when you cannot oversee the process, please give us a call at (714) 382-7007. You can arrange a complimentary consultation and begin building a relationship with Ambrosi & Doerges.
