Attorney Troy Kiefer is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Attorney Troy Kiefer has earned his law degree from the Valparaiso School of Law and has been admitted by the State Bar of Indiana to practice law. Practice areas include elder law, estate planning, elder law, and asset protection. Estate planning services include wills and trusts, living wills and advance medical directives, and probate administration.
Boeglin Gerardot & Grubbs PC is a law firm that is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The firm's areas of practice include estate planning, guardianships, revocable trusts- living trusts, irrevocable trusts, charitable planning, estate tax planning, probate and estate administration, elder law, and Medicaid issues. Estate planning services include wills, powers of attorney, and advance directives for health care. Boeglin Gerardot & Grubbs PC has confidential and experienced attorneys.
Dale, Huffman & Babcock is a law firm with offices in Bluffton, Indiana, Indiana, and was established on May 1, 1979. Areas of practice include estate planning, estate administration, Medicaid planning, real estate, corporate and commercial law, and personal injury. The firm's philosophy is to deliver its clients services with concern and compassion. There is also a second location: 406 South Scott Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46814
Gordon & Associates P.C. is a law firm that is located in Bluffton, Indiana with attorneys who carry over 65 years of collective legal experience. The firm provides legal guidance involving estate planning, estate and trust administration, agricultural law, long-term care planning, Medicaid eligibility for the aging, business organization, and more. The Gordon & Associates P.C. lawyers are honest, caring, experienced, knowledgeable, intelligent, and professional.
HSK :: Hunt Suedhoff Kearney LLP is a law firm with offices in Fort Wayne, Indiana, South Bend, Indiana, Indianapolis, Indiana, and St. Joseph, Michigan. The firm was founded by the late Leigh L. Hunt in 1950. Areas of practice include business and commercial law, employment law, estate planning and administration, family law, health care and business law professional liability defense law, insurance services, and more. HSK :: Hunt Suedhoff Kearney LLP aims to deliver superior services.
Kiplinger Law Firm, P.C. is a law firm that is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Areas of practice include creditors' rights, business and commercial law, estate planning, bankruptcy for creditors, bankruptcy for debtors, and bankruptcy for county and municipal governments as creditors. Estate planning services include wills, testamentary trusts, powers of attorney, and probate matters. Kiplinger Law Firm, P.C. prides itself in delivering quality legal services.
Longsworth Law LLC is a law firm that is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and was founded by Jeanne Longsworth in 2007. Prior to establishing this law office, Jeanne Longsworth partnered and worked in the Indiana’s top law firm for more than 20 years. Estate planning, estate administration, estate and gift tax, corporate law, and business law are this firm's specialties. Longsworth Law LLC is knowledgeable, professional, and attentive.
Myers Hockemeyer & McNagny, LLP is a law firm that is located in Columbia City, Indiana and first opened their doors in 1995. Areas of practice include social security disability benefits, supplemental security income claims, estate planning, family law, business formation, collections, corporate, and more. Myers Hockemeyer & McNagny, LLP also advises clients on passing property before and after their death, prepares documents for such plans, and assists in financial matters upon the death of a loved one.
Perry Law Office is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and possesses more than 80 years of collective legal experience. Areas of focus include Medicaid planning, elder law, social security disability, wills, estates, debt collection, and evictions. Perry Law Office offers a free consultation. This law firm is a Better Business Bureau accredited business.
Springer Elder Law is a law firm that is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and has been helping families for more than 45 years. Available long-term planning solutions include estate planning and probate, living wills, asset protection, special needs trusts, long-term care planning, emergency care plans, personal and financial guardianship, as well as Medicaid planning. The lawyers of Springer Elder Law are members of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.
Troyer & Good, PC is a law firm that is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and has over 30 years of collective legal experience. Specialty practice areas include estate planning, estate administration, guardianship, and elder law/Medicaid. Troyer & Good, PC works on estate planning documents such as last will and testament/trust, power of attorney, living will, and advance directives for health care. This law office is Legal Reach Verified.
An estate consists of the total assets that form an individual’s net worth, no matter how large or small. Estate planning attorneys use their in-depth knowledge of state and federal laws to help people best manage what will happen with their estates after they die or become incapacitated. Estate planning attorneys can prepare wills, form trusts, reduce estate tax burdens, and decrease or eliminate the need for probate court.
With the many intricacies of assets, taxes, and state and federal laws that can affect a person’s estate, an estate planning lawyer can be a valuable professional asset, no matter how large or small a person’s estate may be. An estate planning attorney can:
Estate planning attorneys can create trusts and wills. Through a will, an attorney can help a client designate their estate’s beneficiaries and assign an executor to represent the will in probate court. These attorneys can also create trusts, allowing a client to assign a trustee to oversee the estate, potentially avoiding probate court and holding assets to be distributed over time.
While both estate plans and wills officially document how their owners wish to allocate certain assets after their death, there are key differences. In estate planning, a will is often just one of several documents that form a comprehensive plan. In a will, people must designate a person responsible for executing their will after their death. The will can include guardians for their children when they die and beneficiaries to receive an inheritance of money, property, and other assets.
To create a thorough and effective estate plan, individuals should follow these steps:
The length of the process can vary greatly depending on the size and complexity of the estate, the specific law office, and whether there’s an emergency or urgent need. If you’re using an attorney, you can generally expect it to take one to five weeks. You may be able to speed up the process by immediately providing your attorney with any bank statements or other documents they need.
A trust is an agreement between a grantor, a trustee, and a beneficiary. In this agreement, the grantor allocates funds or real property assets to the trustee to be held either until the grantor passes away or until a specific, agreed-upon date. At that point, it's the responsibility of the trustee to distribute funds or property to the beneficiary or beneficiaries. While there are similarities between a will and a trust, a will is a more comprehensive document that typically requires probate court, while a trust allows assets to pass to the beneficiary without probate.
When opening a trust fund, a grantor allocates a trustee to oversee and manage assets in the account. This trustee can sometimes be a relative, an estate lawyer, or a bank that acts as the legal owner of the trust. While holding assets, the trustee is required to file taxes on trust assets.
A living trust enables a grantor to manage their assets through a trustee while still alive. They can continually add funds and/or property to their trust fund by transferring them to the trustee, who accepts ownership of everything held in the fund. The grantor can name a beneficiary for their trust, and their assets will be automatically transferred to that person or establishment upon their death.
No, a lawyer is not required to draft or complete a will. However, there are some scenarios in which hiring an estate lawyer to assist with a will is a good idea, including when children or high-value assets are involved. Additionally, an estate lawyer can help to reduce probate fees and taxes paid by loved ones after a person dies. It's also best to work with a professional to ensure that the will addresses everything necessary, such as funeral plans, guardianship, and asset distribution.
Yes, and individuals who have a living trust should also have a will. While a living trust enables a person to leave funds and assets to a loved one when they're gone, a will is required to cover any assets that aren't included in the trust, such as guardianship of dependents, funeral plans, and forgiveness of outstanding debts, if applicable.
The cost of setting up a trust varies quite a bit depending on a variety of factors, including terms that are in place, special provisions for minor beneficiaries, and trustees' basic fees. In most cases, the minimum cost of setting up a trust is about $1,500, but depending on the factors mentioned above, this cost can increase by thousands of dollars.
