Estate Planning
Estate planning refers to the broad practice of getting your affairs in order in the event of major disease, injury, or end-of-life. It also includes the execution of the estate once a person has passed away; this specific section is called probate or trust administration.
Our attorneys have a wide swath of experience in all aspects of estate planning: from the relatively simple to the extremely complicated. We are highly regarded by other experienced estate planning and probate attorneys as well as the Courts for our integrity, creativity, and competency.
Below are the three basic estate planning areas in which Verspoor Waalkes practices. Please contact us with further questions. We are happy to help!
Estate Planning
The process of estate planning may involve the preparation and signing of a variety of different documents. Common documents include a last will and testament, a trust (revocable or irrevocable), power of attorney for finances, power of attorney for health care, advance directives, and deeds for real property.
Some estates require more complicated documents, which come with fancy acronyms, like a QPRT, GRAT, CRT, or ILIT.
Regardless of how complicated these documents become, they are there to ensure that your desires are carried out when you are unable to speak for yourself.
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Probate or Trust Administration
Once a person passes away or becomes unable to speak for him or herself, our attorneys assist trustees or personal representatives in administering the estate or trust, a process called probate (for estates) and trust administration (for a revocable trust used to avoid probate). We regularly represent Trustees and Personal Representatives in this process. We also regularly assist family members in petitioning for guardianship or conservatorship for loved ones (this involves probate court while a person is still alive).
We also can represent a trust or estate beneficiary. Sometimes a beneficiary believes a trustee or personal representative has not acted appropriately. We are frequently asked by heirs and beneficiaries in such situations to protect their rights, and we do so with integrity and compassion. We also regularly represent Trustees and Personal Representatives in litigation commenced by beneficiaries.
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Probate litigation
In the process of representing beneficiaries, Personal Representatives, and Trustees, we often have to engage in probate litigation, where we must go through the court system to achieve our client’s desired end. The lawyers at Verspoor Waalkes have carved out a niche in this unique area of the law.
When you need to protect your rights in an estate or trust, challenge estate planning documents, or get involved in litigation in probate court, the probate attorneys at Verspoor Waalkes can assist you. We have litigated all different manner of cases in probate court, including contesting guardianships, conservatorships, wills, and trusts, among others.
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