Estate Planning Solutions for Central New York Families
Your family doesn't need to be rich to realize the benefits of an estate plan. Whether your estate planning needs are simple or complex, the attorneys of Callanen, Foley & Hobika can give you the advice and documentation you need to address a wide range of objectives. Contact our office in Utica for more information about the scope of our estate planning services.
Just about anyone can take advantage of the basic components of an estate plan — last will and testament, durable powers of attorney, and advance directive to physicians. Together, these instruments will achieve a number of important goals. Your assets will be distributed according to your wishes after you're gone.
If you later suffer a period of incapacity and can't look after your own affairs, the powers of attorney will help ensure that trusted individuals will make financial and medical decisions in your place. The advance directive to physicians will clearly express your own values and preferences in situations if your health care team and your family ever need to face hard decisions about life support in extreme medical circumstances.
Every family is different, and many of the people we work with want information about the estate planning options that might help them address particular problems or goals. These might include:
- Specific terms in a will to cover funeral, burial, cremation or memorial considerations
- Living trusts to transfer assets without going through probate
- Planning for Medicaid eligibility
- Proper documentation for bank accounts and life insurance policies
- Special needs trusts to protect vulnerable or disabled family members
- Life insurance trusts
- Family business management succession
- Alternatives to guardianship or conservatorship
Our lawyers develop estate plans that meet your current goals while maintaining flexibility and giving your family the maximum protection available. Our experience can also protect you from unintended consequences. For example, it's actually fairly easy to disinherit your own children if you're remarried and try to alter trust instruments on your own.
Call 315-235-1706 in Utica for Estate Planning Advice
Whether you're starting your estate plan from scratch or need to revise existing documents to reflect new family circumstances, we'll take the time to make sure that we understand your goals and that you understand the meaning of each document. Contact Callanen, Foley & Hobika for more information about the benefits of a sound estate plan.
