Garrison Law Group, LLC

Home     Family Law     Civil Litigation     Criminal Law     Estate Planning     Business/Corporate     Real Estate Law     Guardian/Conservator     Bankruptcy     Contact Us     About Us      
Estate Planning
 
Estate planning means taking care of yourself and your family by planning for your incapacity or death.  It does not necessarily mean you are wealthy.  Estate planning deals with issues such as:
 
  • Who should raise your minor children if something happens to you?

 

  • Who should be in charge of the investments you have left for your children?

 

  • Who should be in charge of your investments and debts if you become incapacitated due to coma, dementia, or other ailment?

 

  • Are you paying more than you need in estate or inheritance taxes?

 

  • Are your documents drafted correctly - or are you leaving your estate in expensive litigation unnecessarily?

 

  • Should you have a Will or a Trust?

 

Melissa Garrison has been helping estate planning clients since 1984!

 Probate Administration

 

Probate is the court process used to gather a deceased persons' assets, pay their debts and taxes, and legally distribute their assets to the correct beneficiaries.  A court will first appoint a Personal Representative to carry out the wishes of a deceased person as expressed in their Will.  If a person dies without a Will, there are laws and rules on how a person's estate is divided.  

 

Did you know that children and spouses may not be required to pay all the decedent's debts?  Where there is not enough money in an estate, creditors may only be paid a portion of their claims. 

 

Probate will also insure that creditors do not come back later to make a claim against an estate or the heirs. 

 

Trust Administration

 

The duties of a successor trustee may include:

  • Providing notice to beneficiaries
  • Accounting for trust assets
  • Inventory and appraisal of trust assets
  • Creating and administering sub-trusts
  • Paying debts and taxes