Passing your wealth on to your heirs through your estate requires more than just a will, especially if your goal is to protect your assets from estate taxes and avoid probate. Estate planning documents can include Living Trusts, Wills, Powers of Attorney, Living Wills or Advanced Health Care Directives. In addition, Jeff Dorko will assist you with financial planning, tax planning, and planning for incapacity and elder law issues.

Living Trusts

Living Trusts are one of the most common estate planning tools in use today. This legal document creates a separate entity called a Living Trust. A Living Trust is called that simply because it is created while you are alive (as opposed to a "testamentary" trust which is a part of your Will and only comes into effect after death).

Who needs a Living Trust? Almost anyone with an estate of $100,000 or more can benefit from having a living trust. Estates of $100,000 or more are often subject to probate, which can cost up to 5% of the estate's value in court and legal fees.

Avoiding probate. Living Trusts avoid probate, and are completely private. The courts have no control over the Trust's assets, and do not tie up the assets in a lengthy and costly probate process.