Estate Planning Tools
Estate Planning Resources
The following documents are useful tools when going through our estate planning process.
Please review all of them as early as possible in the process.
Estate Planning Process
This document explain step-by-step the creation of an Estate Plan.
Roles & Goals Worksheet
This document explains the roles that must be considered when creating an Estate Plan.
Personal Information Form
This document you will need to fill out so we can get a start with all of your information.
When attending your first meeting with any attorney in our office, always remember to bring the following documents:
Copies of any prior will or estate planning documents you have.
Deeds for all real estate that you own, even if you only have a partial ownership
If you own a business, bring your corporate records.
Statements for all (i) bank accounts, (ii) IRAs and 401Ks, and (iii) investment accounts, etc.
Divorce documents if applicable.
Last year’s income tax return and records.
Answers to the Questions You Don’t Know to Ask
What happens if I don't have a plan at all?
Don’t worry, the State of Michigan has one for you. As Rudy Giulilani, Mayor of New York said; “Hope is not a strategy”. Many people simply do not invest the time, energy, and money to create any kind of plan at all. They die without leaving even a simple will always saying; ”I’ll get around to it sometime”. We aren’t exactly sure what a “Round TUIT” is but it can’t be good nor will the “no plan plan” accomplish what you want.
Is there really a way to protect my wealth from both creditors and predators?
The purpose of an Empowered Estate Plan for wealth or asset protection is to title or structure your assets and wealth in such a manner so as to discourage lawsuits that are unreasonable in their scope, as well as avoid the horrendous monetary demands of disgruntled plaintiffs.
Is there a process or strategy I can follow to ensure that I will actually have a plan that works when I need it most?
Absolutely!!! In our experience, most, if not all, people have individualized lives, facts, circumstances, estates, and families which of course then require individual counseling, design, and planning techniques. Our Three-Step Strategy is designed to do exactly that in order to deal with life as it actually occurs and not as we ‘hope” it will occur. You need a strategy to deal with life as it actually occurs.