Estate Planning: What Do You Want Your Legacy to Be?

Estate Planning is your chance to make a final statement that will live on after you, about who you are, who you love, what you value, and what you want your lasting impact on the world to be.

Your estate plan answers one simple question: Which of your resources do you want to give to whom and how?

Planning for your legacy is a key part of what makes your wealth abiding  wealth.

There Are Many Important Things to Think About When You’re Creating Your Estate Plan:

  • How can you ensure those you leave behind will have the resources they need?

  • What causes do you want to support with charitable donations?

  • How can you structure your estate to pass on the maximum benefit to your heirs?

  • How do you want your final arrangements carried out and by whom?

  • Who would ultimately be the best stewards of your gifts?

  • Will the impact of your gifts be what you intended?

There are many other questions– these are just the beginning. The answers depend on your resources, personal goals and priorities.

We Can Help With All of Your North Carolina Estate Planning Needs

You have many options when planning your estate that affect everything from who ultimately owns it to the value of what your heirs will receive. There are also decisions you should make now so your family knows your wishes in case you’re unable to make them later.

The North Carolina estate planning tools we use cover every aspect of planning and executing your final wishes:

  • Wills

  • Trusts

  • Living Wills

  • Healthcare Powers of Attorney

  • Advance Medical Directives

  • Charitable Family Foundations

Your decisions on which tools to use and how will ultimately be guided by the specifics of your estate, your values and your vision for your legacy.

How We Handle Estate Planning: Anticipating Future Problems and Preventing Them

In our North Carolina estate planning work, our top priority is to help you make sure your legacy is what you want it to be. It all starts with a consultation.

Once we know what your estate includes and what you want to achieve, we will go over all of your available options, including their advantages, disadvantages, and tax and other consequences for your heirs.

If there are any potential problems we are aware of, we will point those out. We’ll also help you think through which options will best support your estate planning goals.

Once you have decided what you want to do, we will help you set everything up and create the instructions others will follow to carry out your wishes. We can work with your attorney, CPA and other trusted advisors, or we can source the expertise needed from our team or our network.

Ultimately, our goal is for your final wishes to be clearly expressed, legally safeguarded and for everything to happen with no surprises or unintended consequences when the time comes.

Your Estate Plan Is Your Gift to Yourself and Your Family: Peace of Mind

None of us knows when our time will come. That’s why the time to create your estate plan is now.

It’s your final gift to your family– it spares them the burden of making difficult decisions while grieving. And it’s also a gift to yourself– you get the peace of mind of knowing things will be handled the way you want them to be.

Don’t wait until it’s too late to make these important decisions yourself. Contact us today so we can help you create the legacy you want.

Tools and Resources

How much will my estate owe in federal estate taxes?

12 Estate Planning Questions That Might Make You Squirm

Why You Need an Estate Plan: A Life-Stage Guide

How much will each beneficiary get if my estate is distributed per stirpes?

Does North Carolina collect estate or inheritance tax?

Does South Carolina collect estate or inheritance tax?

Register an Advance Health Care Directive in North Carolina

About Advance Directives in South Carolina

About Powers of Attorney in North Carolina

Types of trusts used in Estate Planning

Guidelines for Individual Executors and Trustees

Find North Carolina Judicial Forms (select the Estate category)

Videos

Understanding Powers of Attorney

Elder law and special needs planning expert Bernard Krooks, JD, CPA, LLM explains why you need a Power of Attorney and how they work. (9:43)

What is a Revocable Trust? Do I Need One?

Georgia State University law professor Mary F. Radford explains what a revocable trust is, how they work and how to know whether you need one. (10:43)