Offering Experienced and Compassionate Estate Planning Services to Individuals and Businesses Across Fort Myers
Do you need assistance with drafting an estate plan in Fort Myers? Are you concerned your current plan is too vague? If you do not have a solid estate plan in place, the state will dictate what the future of your assets is – and their idea of a plan may not be in your or your loved ones’ best interests.
To protect your legacy and ensure you have the ultimate say in the allocation of your estate, it is important to consult with an experienced Fort Myers estate planning attorney who prioritizes your goals and helps you create a secure plan.
The Law Office of Jeffrey A. Attia, PA is committed to helping you achieve your financial goals. With a practice solely devoted to estate planning and estate administration, I will help you identify strategies and options that reflect your unique situation and provide recommendations that are in line with your values to secure the best possible future for you and your loved ones.
Estate Planning in a Nutshell
Estate planning involves the process of managing, conserving, and transferring your property and wealth while considering personal, emotional, legal, and/or tax objectives in addition to planning for the possibility that you may one day require assistance from someone else to help you manage your affairs.
While nobody wants to think about death, disability, or the possibility of being unable to manage their own affairs without assistance, it is much better to be prepared for those events in advance.
A properly drafted estate plan should take into account all the factors – personal preferences, financial considerations, your health, the health of your intended beneficiaries, charitable desires, and everything else not listed here that is important to you – so that it is unique and addresses your specific set of circumstances.
Our estate planning services include:
- Estate plan drafting
- Estate plan amendments
- Transfer of assets
- Living wills and trusts
- Power of attorney
- Healthcare and advanced directives
Reasons Why You Should Plan
Estate planning ensures a secure future for your assets, property, business, and other valuables, as well as protects your estate from falling into the wrong hands. Yet, you may not realize that estate plans can also save your loved ones’ money from a tax standpoint and time spent in lengthy court proceedings. Below are important reasons why you should draft an estate plan:
- You may wish to provide an inheritance for a child with a disability without jeopardizing that child’s ability to receive public benefits.
- You may wish to provide for someone they love that is suffering from addiction related issues. The estate plan can be designed so that it provides incentives for the afflicted individual to take steps towards recovery.
- Second marriages (or third or fourth marriages) present additional challenges. A simple “I love you” Will to your current spouse may ultimately have the effect of disinheriting your children. There may be some tension or conflict between children from prior marriages and step-parents.
- Protect the assets of the “first to die” spouse’s estate from being inadvertently depleted by the surviving spouse should the surviving spouse get remarried.
- It may be important to avoid additional probate proceedings in other states. For instance, Florida probate courts will not have jurisdiction over that vacation home in the Hamptons. In this case, just a “Will” will not get the job done.
- Prior to recent changes in federal estate tax law that resulted in fewer estates being subject to federal estate tax, minimizing estate taxes payable to the federal government was an overriding concern for many folks, whereas now, income tax and capital gains tax planning may be more important.
Protect Your Assets; Contact a Fort Myers Estate Planning Attorney Today
Whether your goal is to transfer a business to a loved one or add a beneficiary to an existing will, it is important to create an estate plan that is thorough and reflects your goals. As an experienced Fort Myers estate planning attorney, I am dedicated to making sure you have a secure plan in place for the future of your assets so you can have peace of mind. For assistance with estate planning services in Fort Myers, please call 239.919.2318 or complete an online contact form.
