Estate Planning

The Law Offices of Taylor, Leong & Chee prepares estate planning documents designed to (1) accomplish the goals of our clients, (2) avoid probate administration, (3) avoid potential future disputes, and (4) minimize potential tax implications in a manner consistent with the clients' individualized life goals.  Our areas of representation include:

Wills, Living Trusts and Related Documents

The Firm prepares a full range of estate planning documents, the most common of which are:

• Wills: We prepare simple wills; pour-over wills, which are wills designed to work in unison with a living trust; and wills with guardianship provisions for our clients' minor children.
• Revocable Living Trusts: We prepare living trusts and assist our clients in properly funding their trusts in order to avoid the necessity of a probate administration on the death of a client.  Proper implementation of an estate plan through the careful drafting of a trust enables our clients to control the distribution of their estate and to minimize or avoid unnecessary estate taxation.  
• Financial Powers of Attorney: We prepare financial powers of attorney designating a person or persons to manage the financial affairs of our clients in the event they become incapacitated.
• Health Care Directives, Powers of Attorney, and Living Wills: We prepare advanced health care directives allowing our clients to designate a person or persons to make medical decisions on their behalf and to carry out their wishes with regard to health care and end-of-life issues.  The enactment of the federal Privacy Act has made a health care directive a necessary component of any estate plan. 
• Irrevocable Trusts: We prepare irrevocable trusts for life insurance and other assets designed to avoid estate taxation upon the death of the client who created the trust and contributed the assets.

Trust Amendments and Restatements

Family, personal, and financial circumstances may change over time, and the laws that apply to estate planning documents are also constantly evolving.  Accordingly, we suggest that clients periodically review their estate planning documents to make sure that they still express the client's wishes in light of changes in the law.  We are frequently asked to review and revise existing estate planning documents to comport with evolving personal and legal circumstances.

Seek Experienced Legal Counsel

Estate planning frequently involves sensitive family issues and complex tax issues, requiring the assistance of experienced trust and estate counsel.  Because the attorneys at the Law Offices of Taylor, Leong & Chee have experience in both drafting and litigating estate plans, they are often able to anticipate potential future problems during the drafting stage and devise plans to avoid those problems.  Contact us today for assistance with your estate planning needs.