Wealth Planning & Probate

People often think Estate Planning is important just to minimize taxes and to distribute your assets upon your passing. However, even more importantly, Estate Planning is a tool to protect your family and loved ones after your death. Proper Estate Planning provides a way for you to support your family financially and recommend Guardians to care for minor children. Minimizing tax implications nevertheless is an important component of Estate Planning.  With federal estate tax starting at approximately 35%, there can be substantial savings to a client's estate with proper planning. Heirs may also be subjected to the Indiana Inheritance Tax. The tax rate and exemption amount for this relatively low tax vary according to how closely the heir is related to the deceased person. 
Anticipating future care expenses can be an important part of Estate Planning, too. Based on your individual goals, we can help you navigate through the ever-changing eligibility rules for the government’s Medicaid program, or we can address long-term care insurance to avoid Medicaid and maximize independence non-institutional care alternatives.

Elder Law

One of our primary tasks in the elder law field is to help seniors, people with disabilities, and their families plan for issues that often arise with advanced age, illness and incapacity. We work closely with clients and with other professionals to develop health and personal care planning, as well as draft documents to provide authority to a trusted friend or family member to handle financial matters or to make health care decisions when a senior is unable to do so. We can create or advise on a variety of special or supplemental needs trusts to protect people with disabilities from disqualification for need-based government benefits. In addition to asset protection, we work to maximize our client’s quality of life and the life of their loved ones.