Our firm is in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and we provide assistance with Estate Planning, Probate of Wills, and Trust establishment and Trust administration.

We assist individuals, families and business, as part of their Estate Planning. This may include preparation and execution of Powers of Attorney, both health and financial, as well as other advance directives such as Living Wills. We also assist with preparation and execution of Wills, Revocable Living Trusts, Irrevocable Trusts, Special Needs or Supplemental Needs Trusts.

Estate Planning is, simply stated, the process that allows each one of us to plan ahead for both future incapacity, as well as transfer of assets at death. As part of that process, each of us needs to assess our own desires and wishes, as well as concerns, and then select from the variety of options for planning that exist at this time.

Many people are surprised to learn that the process has many more options than a simple will.

How do I start the Estate Plan? We recommend that you start with us. We can provide a questionnaire that has you do a number of things: you can make a list of the assets that you presently have, including their valuation, whether you have beneficiary designations, whether you have co-owners, and the like. Second, the questionnaire asks you to determine how you want property to be managed or disposed of in the event of your incapacity, and then again how it should be transferred in the event of your death. We can then work with you to make sure that your goals are best carried out, at the least costly manner, for your beneficiaries.

Part of any estate plan process should also include your other advisers, often such as your accountant, a certified financial planner, life insurance advisers, and your investment manager or broker. All these professionals should work together to make sure that your estate plan meets your own needs.

At a minimum, we usually recommend that our clients have a Health Care Power of Attorney, a Financial Power of Attorney, and a Will or a Revocable Living Trust. However, many plans have several variations or additional documents.

Also, we commonly assist people with doing a Marital Property Agreement, as an Estate Planning device, here in Wisconsin. Be sure to ask if that will help in your circumstances.