You may have plans for all of the things that you will do in the future – travel, buy a vacation home, golf – everything you put off while building an estate. If something happens to you between now and then, your goals for your estate will be unknown. Our High Point, NC, estate planning attorneys help you plan for:
- Death
- Asset distribution
- Charitable giving
- Long-term care planning
- Medical emergencies
Planning for the good and bad protects your estate and allows you to have legal documents in place to secure your legacy.
Estate plans go beyond a will and testament. You can outline medical procedures you want and don’t want performed, someone to manage your finances or make health decisions on your behalf if you’re unable to on your own, and so much more.
Only 1-in-3 Americans have an estate plan, greatly impacting the legacy that they leave behind.
Do not be one of them.
Contact us to learn how we can help you create an estate plan that protects your estate and heirs.
Estate Planning Case Illustration
Estate planning is often tied to your assets, which are an important part of a plan. But imagine Adam, a healthy 43-year-old who is a single father. He’s an entrepreneur who is heading home one day and is in a car accident.
He has no estate plan in place, and with no power of attorney, no one can:
- Manage his finances
- Make medical decisions for him
Adam’s accident left him in a coma, and while he may recover, he has a long road ahead. His family has to go to court to be granted conservatorship, and since he didn’t leave account names and passwords for his digital assets, his family is facing an uphill battle.
No one was named as a guardian of his child, so he is going from one parent’s home to another, destabilizing his daily routine.
An estate plan could have accounted for all of these incidents, allowing Adam’s estate to be managed with greater ease.
If he dies without a plan in place, his assets will go through intestate succession,
Securing Your Legacy with Our Estate Planning Attorneys
Our High Point, NC, estate planning attorneys will learn about your:
- Estate
- Life circumstances
- Wishes for your estate
We know what questions to ask to understand better what your estate plan must include to provide the protection it needs. Your attorney knows North Carolina’s estate laws and will individualize your plan.
If you have questions, we will answer them to put your mind at ease that if you die or are left incapacitated, your wishes for your estate are outlined already.
Avoiding family arguments, minimizing tax burdens, and leaving a legacy behind requires an effective estate plan created by an attorney who understands how to navigate state laws.
What Components Make an Effective Estate Plan?
A basic estate plan should include, at the very least, the following documents:
- Will: A will outlines the wishes you have for your distribution of assets as well as names an executor and even a guardian for your child.
- Living Will: Outlines your desires for medical treatments if you become incapacitated.
- Power of Attorney: Appoints an agent to manage your financial affairs if you become incapacitated and cannot make decisions yourself.
- Healthcare Proxy: Ensures your appointed agent can carry out your wishes for medical care.
Your estate may need even more planning, which is what a comprehensive plan offers.
What Does a Comprehensive Estate Plan Include?
The components above create a solid foundation for your estate plan, but you may have other concerns or wishes that you would like to address. A comprehensive estate plan can help you achieve these goals.
Our High Point, NC estate planning attorneys can help you build a comprehensive plan that addresses issues such as asset preservation, estate taxes and long-term care.
Common additions to estate plans that we can assist with include:
- Trust(s) to shield assets, avoid probate and ensure your assets are distributed as you see fit.
- Family LLPs, which allow family members to profit based on their proportion of shares.
- Charitable Planning to support causes you are passionate about while you’re still living and after your death.
- Insurance Planning to help fund trusts, pay for estate taxes or achieve other goals.
- LTC Planning to protect your assets and help you qualify for Medicare if you require long-term care in the future.
- Final Expenses to alleviate the stress and financial burden of funeral and burial costs on your heirs.
- Retirement Account Planning to ensure your estate is prepared for the future and leverage provisions in the Secure Act that can benefit you in retirement.
- Buy-Sell or Succession Planning for Business Owners to ensure everything you worked so hard to build is distributed or sold as per your wishes.
These are some of the most important components of a comprehensive estate plan. We can incorporate some or all of these elements to ensure your plan carries out your last wishes.
How To Select The Best Estate Planning Attorney in High Point to Secure Your Legacy
Comprehensive estate planning requires the expertise and experience of an estate planning attorney. Finding the right legal professional is crucial.
Look for an attorney who:
- Understands the nuances and complexities of estate planning. Attorneys who focus primarily on estate planning will know which strategies and legal documents to use to solve your problems and achieve your legacy goals. At NC Planning, estate planning is one of our core practice areas.
- Provides a high-touch, personalized level of service to clients. When it comes to matters as serious as your estate plan, you need an attorney who will get to know you, answer your questions and respond in a timely manner. We are a small boutique firm committed to our clients and solving their estate planning needs in the most efficient, stress-free way possible.
A firm with positive client testimonials and a reputation for putting clients first will ensure that your estate plan receives the time and attention it deserves.
How NC Planning Can Help You Plan for the Road Ahead
At NC Planning, we know that it can feel challenging and overwhelming to plan for the future. Let our attorneys simplify the process and help you navigate the planning process. We will help you understand your options and build a plan that can be adjusted as your life circumstances change.
Get in touch today to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced High Point, NC estate planning attorneys.
We operate out of four locations to meet our clients’ needs: Cary, Raleigh, Greensboro and Wilmington, NC.
