Estate planning is a process which allows you to control your legacy and provide for your family. There are different approaches to estate planning and you need to choose the options that are right for you. The Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C. can help. Our Finger Lakes estate planning lawyers can give you advice on using all of the legal tools you need to create a comprehensive estate plan that accomplishes your goals for the future.

Clients throughout the Finger Lakes, Rochester, Naples, Pittsford, and surrounding areas have turned to us for assistance in the creation of wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents. We will provide you with personalized advice on what should be in your estate plan and we will help you to carry out the necessary steps to make your plan. Give us a call today at (585) 546-1734 to get started on a planning process customized to you and to get answers to important questions including:

• What is involved with estate planning in New York?
• Why is estate planning important?
• How can a Finger Lakes estate planning lawyer help me?

What is Involved with Estate Planning in New York?

Estate planning involves taking a comprehensive array of steps to make sure your legacy is a strong one and to ensure your money and property is used as you want it to be after your death.  Your estate planning process can be as simple as you want it to be, or as complex as you need it to be, to provide protection for your assets and protection for your heirs.

The simplest estate plans simply include a last will and testament so family members and loved ones do not end up fighting over assets and so it is clear who the deceased wished to be in charge of winding up the affairs of the estate. The will can name an executor to oversee the winding up of the estate and can distribute money and property amongst the people and causes which the deceased person cared about.

The estate planning process, however, can go far beyond just creating a will- if you need it to.  

• You can take advanced steps to try to avoid probate or facilitate the transfer of some of your assets outside of probate so the assets transfer more quickly to new owners and so your family avoids the hassle of probate court.
• You can use trusts to provide protection for your assets so heirs cannot mismanage their inheritance or lose the money and property you leave them to creditors or to divorce or bankruptcy.  
• You can also talk with a Finger Lakes estate planning lawyer about whether estate taxes will be assessed and about what types of options you may have for reducing or avoiding this tax on your estate assets.

Since everyone’s plan needs to be customized to their own specific situation, there is not one model estate plan everyone needs to follow and the process will not be the same from person-to-person or family-to-family. This is why it is so important that everyone work with an experienced attorney to create the plan that is right for them.

Why is Estate Planning Important?

Estate planning is important for many reasons While everyone’s situation is different, estate planning may be important to you because:

• You want to control what happens to assets after death, not leave distribution of assets up to intestacy laws in New York.
• You want to help make sure your family does not end up fighting over the value of your estate.
• You don’t want to lose a lot of the value of your estate due to estate taxes.
• You want to reduce the potential that your will is going to be contested and the value of your estate diminished by a long legal battle.
• You want to provide for and protect your heirs.
• You want to make contributions to charities which matter to you.

These are just some of the many different reasons why it may be essential for you to create your plan. When you talk to your lawyer about your goals, your attorney can help you to decide what kind of estate plan you need.

How can a Finger Lakes Estate Planning Lawyer Help Me?

The Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C. can provide comprehensive estate planning help in the Finger Lakes, Rochester, Naples, Pittsford, and surrounding areas. We help people of all ages, as no adult is ever too young to make an estate plan. We also provide assistance to people at all income levels and with all different types of goals for providing for their families. Give us a call today at (585) 546-1734 to find out more about the estate planning process and to get answers personalized to your situation.