Click here to
visit our dedicated Estate Planning website for more information.
Unsworth & Barra, PLC provides affordable wills, trusts and estate planning
to a wide range of clients. We address Medicaid, wealth preservation and tax
planning issues. We are dedicated to providing timely, quality and cost-effective
estate planning. The firm is located near the Five Corners in
Essex Junction, Vermont.
We have regular office hours, but can be very flexible to serve your needs.
Our attorneys will travel to your home or other location to meet with you, if
necessary.
Why do you need estate planning?
If you don't have a will and proper estate documents, the government decides
many important issues for you.
For example, in the event of your death or disability, the government - not
you - would appoint guardians and trustees for your minor children. It would
decide how your estate should be distributed. Under Vermont law, if you don't
have a will, a certain percentage of your real and personal property would automatically
go to your children or other relatives instead of your spouse. There may also
be a large Federal estate tax. In many circumstances, this tax can be minimized
with proper estate planning.
Proper Estate Planning can:
- Set forth your personal wishes and desires in the event of your death or
disability.
- Appoint your choice of guardians and trustees to care for your minor children.
- Establish trusts for your spouse and children.
- Make fiduciary decisions as to who will handle your money if you die or
become disabled.
- Ease the decision-making burden on your loved ones.
- Reduce or eliminate Federal estate taxes.
- Reduce or eliminate Probate expenses and avoid delays in the Probate process.
Your estate plan:
After talking with you to determine your goals and objectives, we will develop
an estate plan that best suits your circumstances. Your estate plan may include
one or all of the following instruments:
- Will: In the event of your death, disposes of your property
in the manner you wish through the Probate Court process.
- Trust: Appoints someone to look after your family's money
until the family members are old enough to use it wisely.
- Living Trust: Avoids the Probate process. In the event
of incapacity, can avoid a court-directed guardianship. Allows you to direct
how your assets are managed and spent, even after your death. Reduces or eliminates
Federal estate taxes. Protects children from earlier marriages and helps to
make sure your wishes are carried out and not subject to dispute. Avoids the
publicity and loss of privacy that can happen in Probate.
- Advance Health Care Directive: Appoints a trusted individual
to make health care decisions for you if you cannot. Also describes the kind
of health care you want if you become terminally ill and cannot act for yourself.
- Durable Power of Attorney for Financial Matters: Appoints
an agent to act on your behalf in all of your financial matters. Remains in
effect even if you become incapacitated. Can avoid the guardianship process.
- Advanced Estate Planning: Develops specialized plans including
charitable giving, asset protectionand tax planning.
- Tax Planning: Can reduce and/or delay taxes paid to the
Government by your heirs.
- Nursing Home Protection: Utilizes specialized strategies
to maximize the amount of money preserved for the family rather than spending
it on rapidly increasing nursing home costs.
What we do:
Unsworth & Barra, PLC can work closely with your accountant, financial advisor
and insurance representative to maximize the results you wish.
We can develop a specialized plan for both you and your spouse to include:
- Wills
- Advance Health Care Directives
- Powers of Attorney for Financial Affairs
- Revocable Living Trusts
- Insurance Trusts
- Medicaid Reviews
- Charitable Giving
- Special Needs Trusts
- Structured Retirement Income Distributions
Your first consultation is free of charge. Most documents are prepared for
a set fee. Contact us
today!
Click here to
visit our dedicated Estate Planning website for more information.
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