Estate Planning
A complete financial plan protects not just your future — but your legacy. I coordinate with estate attorneys to align your financial strategy with your estate documents.
Disclosure
This page is general educational information, not legal, tax, or investment advice. Estate documents should be prepared and reviewed by a licensed attorney for your specific situation.
What I help with
Revocable & irrevocable trusts
Wills & pour-over wills
Special needs trusts
Beneficiary designation review
Trust-owned life insurance (TOLI)
Families planning for a loved one with a disability can read about special needs trust planning.
The four building blocks
Wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives — what each one actually does.
Wills
A will says who receives what you own and who looks after minor children. It takes effect after you die and usually goes through a court process called probate.
Revocable trusts
A revocable trust is a legal arrangement you can change while you are living. Assets held in the trust pass to the people you name under its terms, often without going through probate.
Powers of attorney
A power of attorney names someone you trust to handle your money and legal matters if you cannot.
Healthcare directives
A healthcare directive records your wishes for medical care and names someone to speak for you if you cannot.
The rules and the wording differ from state to state, so your attorney confirms what applies to you.
The sleeper mistake
How a single beneficiary form can quietly override your entire plan — and how to catch it.
Retirement accounts and life insurance usually pass to the person named on the beneficiary form, not to the person named in your will. I review those forms against your plan so they agree.
Protecting who depends on you
Kids, aging parents, a loved one with a disability, and your home — covered.
See also elder care planning and special needs trust planning.
How I work with your attorney
Attorneys draft the documents; I make sure the pieces actually fit together.
We talk through your family, what you own and what you want to happen.
I review your insurance, retirement accounts and beneficiary forms against your plan.
Your attorney drafts or updates the documents.
I help you check that your accounts and policies match the documents, and we look again when your life changes.
Why I do this
I built my own family's plan first — for my parents, a brother with a disability, and a father with Alzheimer's — and I translate the complicated parts into plain language and a clear next step.
Common questions
What is the difference between a will and a trust?
A will takes effect after you die and usually goes through probate, a court process. A revocable trust can be changed while you are living, and assets held in it pass under its terms. Many plans use both. The rules differ by state, so your attorney confirms what fits your family.
Why do beneficiary forms matter?
Retirement accounts and life insurance usually pass to the person named on the form, whatever your will says. A form that was not updated after a divorce, a birth or a death can send money somewhere you did not intend. I review them with you.
Do you write the documents?
No. I am not an attorney. Attorneys draft the documents; I make sure the pieces actually fit together.
Can you work with my attorney?
Yes. I coordinate with estate attorneys to align your financial strategy with your estate documents.
What should I bring to a first conversation?
Any existing wills, trusts or powers of attorney, a list of your accounts and insurance policies, and the names on your beneficiary forms. If you do not have them yet, we can start without them.
Does it cost anything to talk?
The first conversation is free, no-pressure, and no-obligation. Tell me where you are and where you want to go — I'll tell you honestly whether and how I can help.
Talk with me
The first conversation is free, no-pressure, and no-obligation. Tell me where you are and where you want to go — I'll tell you honestly whether and how I can help.
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