Protect your assets.
At Flinn Law Northwest, we can help you start planning for your future with a will or trust. We understand that discussing what happens after you die is not always easy. However, it is essential to outline how to protect and secure your assets for the future of your loved ones.
What are estate plans?
Estate planning is a set of tools that allows you to prepare for the future – including death and disability – by making decisions in advance about asset transfer, business succession, health care options, guardianship for minor children and pets, and more.
Any person or family that owns real property and other assets can benefit from estate planning. Responsible planning can help you avoid probate costs and delays, reduce estate taxes, and minimize capital gains tax implications, address disability concerns, and provide a plan for your beneficiaries.
Our team has the experience and legal knowledge necessary to understand the implications of your financial, health care, and business decisions. Flinn Law Northwest will help you create an estate plan that will protect your interests in the future.
There are three main steps in the estate planning process
01
Flinn Law Northwest works diligently from start to finish. We never stop fighting for our clients. Our goal each day is to help those in need of assistance with their specific legal matter.
02
Next, we will draft the documents you will need to complete your estate plan. These documents can range from a simple will to complex trusts, each with advantages for specific situations. We will also help you with related documents, such as powers of attorney, living wills, health care directives, and other documents. We will make sure that the documents we draft for you make sense for your situation.
03
Finally, we will ensure that your assets are properly held and titled and make the appropriate changes if needed. This includes considering the tax effects, costs, and priorities determined in the planning step, oftentimes with the help of your tax professional.
WHY ESTATE PLANS ARE SO VALUABLE
Estate planning serves two critical roles: it gives you complete control over what will happen to your belongings; and it prevents your family from having to endure stress and financial hardship.
Without an estate plan, your heirs could lose money. Your assets will have to pass through a probate process before your family can receive an inheritance. Laws, not your wishes, will govern how your assets will be distributed in a process that could take months or even years, leaving your family in a difficult financial situation and having to navigate the legal process when they could otherwise be grieving peacefully.
Flinn Law Northwest has the knowledge to draft a clear, well-written estate plan that can guarantee the wealth you have worked so hard to build will go to the loved ones you intended smoothly, without any hassle or additional expense.
PROBATE
Occasionally a person will die without a will or trust in place. Sometimes relatives are unable to find the original will or trust. In these cases, the family must put their loved one’s assets through probate.
Probate involves filing a petition with the court to establish a case and appoint a personal representative. The personal representative manages the case, notifying beneficiaries and administering the estate assets.
Our team can help draft the necessary paperwork and meet deadlines to ensure assets are transferred smoothly and quickly. We can also help in the event that the transfer of assets is contested, and litigation is necessary to determine where assets will go.