Connecticut Estate Planning Attorneys

Providing Valuable Legal Services to Our Clients and Their Family Members in the Estate Planning Process

Very few among us have taken the time to draft and file the necessary documents to protect their personal assets, dignity, legacy, and family’s future. This is unfortunate because, without a thorough estate plan, there is no guarantee that your estate assets will be distributed according to your wishes or that your beneficiaries and heirs will recover the property you desire for them. Additionally, not all estate planning documents deal with death. Som estate plan documents, such as living wills and living trusts, can benefit you and your family members while you are still alive. An advance healthcare directive can also determine important decision-making for your medical care if you are ever unable to speak for yourself.

There is no such thing as starting estate planning too early — if you’re over 18 years of age, you should have an estate plan in Connecticut. Nor is estate planning reserved only for high-net-worth individuals. Anyone with an estate should take these steps to protect their interests and make things easier for their surviving loved ones.

What Estate Planning Services Does Our Law Firm Provide?

The Law Offices of Ericson, Scalise & Mangan, PC, have the legal ability to provide you with the services you and your family need when contending with complex state law matters.

Our estate planning services include the following:

• Assigning a healthcare agent.
• Assigning powers of attorney.
• Beneficiary designations.
• Business planning.
• Choosing an executor.
• Contesting a will.
• Creating charitable trusts, wherein estate assets will be donated to charitable organizations for benefits in estate taxes.
• Development of wealth preservation strategies.
• Drafting and revising a last will and testament.
• Estate administration.
• Estate litigation.
• Estate tax planning.
• Legal representation in probate courts.
• Preparing and filing tax returns during probate.
• Representing beneficiaries and fiduciaries.
• Reviewing special needs trusts.
• The development of revocable or irrevocable trusts.
• Trust administration.
• And more.

To learn more about how our estates attorneys can assist you with these complex legal issues, schedule a case review with our legal staff today.

What Happens if You Die without a Will in CT?

When a person passes away without a will in CT, it is known as dying intestate. When this occurs, the estate assets will be distributed according to Connecticut’s intestacy laws. Additionally, the probate court will monitor proceedings to ensure that any outstanding debts, taxes, or funeral expenses are paid during the probate process.

In most cases, if the decedent is survived by a spouse or children, they will recover the entirety of the estate. If you want to ensure that your beneficiaries recover the estate assets you want for them, you must make your final wishes known by drafting a last will and testament.

Do You Need a Trust if You Already Have a Will?

While a will is often considered the foundation upon which most Connecticut estate plans are built, many families would benefit from the creation of various types of trusts as well. There are several different types of trusts in Connecticut, including the revocable living trust, the generation-skipping trust, the dynasty trust, and the special needs trust, to name a few. Which type of trust would benefit you and your needs the most can be determined in your initial consultation. Many trusts provide a certain level of asset protection and can help estates avoid probate.

What is Business Succession Planning?

If you are a business owner or a business partner, you need to consider business succession planning in case of an owner’s untimely demise, unexpected retirement, or unfortunate incapacitation.

Our legal team has extensive experience representing clients in business law in addition to estate law matters. To learn more about the benefits of developing a comprehensive business succession plan, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our law firm.

What is Probate Litigation?

Just about the last thing we want to think about is our surviving loved ones fighting amongst themselves in probate court and estate litigation cases. To help limit the chances of probate litigation, it is recommended that you work with experienced estate planning attorneys while drafting your estate plan.

However, there are several reasons why a beneficiary may deem it necessary to contest a will or trust during the probate process. Our attorneys can represent your interests, whether you are looking to defend the estate planning document as it is written or challenge that document.

What Are Health Care Directives?

An advanced health care directive can establish your wishes for medical care and end-of-life decisions if you are ever left incapacitated due to serious illness or injury. Without such a directive in place, your loved ones may be left scrambling to decide what to do in these emotionally challenging situations.

What is a Power of Attorney Document?

With a durable power of attorney document, you can entrust an individual to act on your behalf to handle your financial affairs and family fortune if you cannot do so yourself. This type of estate planning document is especially useful for high-net-worth individuals and business owners with pressing financial matters that cannot wait in cases where they are left incapacitated.

How Often Should Your Estate Plan Be Updated?

We generally advise that estate planning documents be reviewed and updated yearly. If you have previously created an estate plan but have not reviewed those documents for a few years, chances are that the language included in the documents is out of date.

Additionally, we recommend updating estate planning documents like wills and trusts after major life events, such as the death of a beneficiary, marriage, divorce, remarriage, significant changes in financial circumstances, and the birth of a new child.

Schedule an In-Depth Case Evaluation with Experienced Connecticut Estate Planning Attorneys Today

Our law firm has extensive experience representing clients in estate law, probate law, and elder law. We would be proud to provide you with personal service today and into tomorrow throughout the estate planning process.

To learn more about our legal services, please get in touch with our Connecticut law firm to schedule your initial consultation today. You can reach our New Britain, CT, law office at 860-854-3809 or our Avon, CT, law office at 860-854-3545.