The trusts and estates practice group at Barton Gilman assists clients with a comprehensive approach to address their estate planning needs. A proper estate plan created by a trusts and estates attorney provides real peace of mind by allowing for the appointment of trusted fiduciaries (attorney in fact, trustee, executor) to carry out your wishes consistent with your values should you become unable to make decisions for yourself during your lifetime and after your death.
Among the goals an estate attorney can help you achieve are:
- Avoiding probate court costs and inefficiencies due to guardianship or estate proceedings
- Reduction of estate and income taxes
- Sheltering assets from the costs of long term care
- Insuring that assets are held and distributed consistent with your values and family situations
Clients have very different needs and priorities that the estate group fulfills by preparing a total plan, not just individual documents, including a careful review of retirement plans and insurance with beneficiary designations that are not controlled by wills or trusts.
The experienced and knowledgeable Barton Gilman estate planning team has achieved successful results for clients related to:
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- Durable financial powers of attorney
- Health care power of attorney/Health care proxy
- HIPAA authorization
- Incapacity planning
- Revocable or “living” trusts
- Elder law/Medicaid planning
- Last will and testament
- Probate court administration for guardianships (following incapacity) or estates (following death)
Probate litigation
- Non-probate asset administration
- Small Business Succession planning
- Estate and income tax avoidance
