Planning the Legacy You Want to Leave

Estate planning is more than documents and paperwork. It’s a way to protect the people you love, clarify your wishes, and help make the transition easier for those who will carry on your legacy.

Estate planning documents and family discussion

Estate Planning Made Understandable

You don’t need a law degree or a huge estate to have an estate plan—just a clear way to record your wishes and who should carry them out.

Estate planning is simply deciding what should happen if you’re no longer able to manage your own affairs, or when you’re gone. Without a plan, the state uses default rules to decide who gets what and who is in charge—which may not match your wishes or the realities of your family.

Many people put off estate planning because they feel they don’t have “enough” money, don’t know where to start, or assume it’s only for the very wealthy. In reality, almost everyone can benefit from a basic plan—especially if you have people, pets, or causes you care about.

You may need an estate plan if any of these sound like you: you want to provide for a spouse, child, grandchild, niece, nephew, or charity; you have strong preferences about your health care and end-of-life care; you worry about who would manage your finances if you couldn’t; you want to avoid family conflict over “who gets what”; or you own things like a home, retirement accounts, life insurance, cryptocurrency, or family heirlooms that you want handled a certain way.

A solid estate plan usually includes a few key documents:

  • Last Will & Testament: States who receives your property, and who will manage your affairs and care for minor or special-needs children after you die.
  • Financial Power of Attorney: Lets a trusted person make financial and legal decisions on your behalf if you’re unable to act.
  • Health Care Directive / Proxy: Names someone to make medical decisions for you and records your wishes about treatment and end-of-life care.
  • Trust (when appropriate): A “bucket” that can hold your assets, with rules you create for how and when they’re managed or distributed—during incapacity and after death.
You can either create your own plan—or let state law do it for you. A written estate plan gives your loved ones clarity instead of confusion, and reduces the risk of delays, disputes, and unnecessary stress at an already difficult time.

When we help you with estate planning, we start by talking through what (and who) matters most to you. Then we help you understand how tools like Wills, Trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives can work together so your wishes are documented, your decision-makers are clearly named, and your loved ones know exactly what you wanted.

Last Will & Testament Revocable Living Trust Financial Power of Attorney Health Care Proxy Living Will Guardianship for Children Beneficiary Designations Probate & Avoidance Legacy & Charitable Gifts Blended Family Planning Digital Assets & Crypto Family Heirlooms Special Needs Planning Pet Care Instructions End-of-Life Wishes
Do you have a written plan for who steps in—and what happens—if you can’t manage things yourself or when you’re gone?

We’ll walk through your situation in plain language, explain your options, and help you create (or update) an estate plan that reflects your wishes and protects the people and causes you care about.

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