Wills & Trusts

Hill Innovative Law offers an array of estate planning services.

Wills

Every estate plan, regardless of its sophistication, should include a will. A will expresses a person’s desires regarding the disposition of his or her property upon their death. Your will is your way of ensuring your property is allocated properly and can help you take care of your loved ones after death. It is essential to have your will drafted properly so that in the event of your death, your wishes can and will be enforced by the probate court.

In setting up a new will, we enable you to

  • Appoint a guardian for your minor children.

  • Name an executor to administer your estate.

  • Record instructions on how to distribute your assets, and to whom.

  • Set up a testamentary trust to manage the inheritance of any minors until they reach an age of responsibility.

 

Trusts

Revocable Living Trusts can provide many benefits. They can be used to avoid the cost, delay, and public nature of the probate process for distributing assets. They are especially useful if you own real estate in more than one state, or if you own a business that would need to be managed and/or sold without interruption if something happened to you.

Irrevocable Trusts can provide greater asset protection, and can have some tax benefits. However, you do not have control over your assets like you do in a Revocable Living Trust. Instead, your Trustee has control. There can be various reasons to create such a trust. Do not hesitate to let us know if you have any questions.

 

Durable Powers of Attorney & Healthcare Directives

Durable powers of attorney. This document is used to appoint a person to make business and financial decisions for you if you become incapacitated for whatever reason. Hill Innovative Law can work with you to appoint a representative to manage your assets, make financial decisions on your behalf, and sign legal documents if you are no longer able to do so.

Without a Power of Attorney, even a spouse would need to file a court petition to make decisions about assets held in an incapacitated spouse’s name, pay bills from a spouse’s account, or even to sell a house owned as joint tenants.

Advance directive for health care. Hill Innovative Law can assist you in the creation of an advance directive for health care that instructs others concerning the degree to which you wish to receive medical care if you are incapacitated. Such documents are commonly known as living wills when they prohibit medical treatments or procedures that prolong life unnecessarily.

Without an Advance Directive for Health Care, there are restrictions on the health care decisions friends and relatives can make for you.

The court may be required to appoint a Guardian to make these decisions on your behalf. Court hearings can be costly, and are usually public. It is best to avoid a time-consuming court hearing when timely medical decisions are crucial.

 

Asset Protection

Depending on your specific situation, different methods of asset protection are available. Hill Innovative Law can assist you in protecting your assets, as well as assets you intend to give a loved one.