Estate Planning and Probate
Estate planning is the process whereby families develop a plan that ensures that the assets they have worked so hard accumulating during their lifetime are protected and distributed to those they love after their death. Without proper planning, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or Wisconsin Department of Revenue stands to "inherit" a large portion of the assets of many families in Wisconsin. The lawyers at Vanden Heuvel & Dineen offer effective estate planning solutions to families in the following areas:
- Advance medical directives
- Business succession planning
- Charitable giving
- Conservatorships and guardianships
- Durable powers of attorney
- Family limited partnerships
- Investment properties
- Life insurance trusts
- Living wills
- Premarital agreements
- Revocable and irrevocable trusts
- Wills and testaments
For further information about estate planning issues affecting Wisconsin families please contact the lawyers at Vanden Heuvel & Dineen today.
Probate and Estate Administration
In its most basic terms, probate is nothing more than a court-supervised transfer of title in an asset. Probate is the legal process that takes place after someone dies and often involves:
- Challenges to the validity of a will
- Distributing property as directed by a will
- Identifying and inventorying estate property
- Paying estate debts and taxes
Though this explanation of probate may seem simple, the process usually is not. There are often a number of different persons interested in the probate estate, including: creditors, other family members, beneficiaries, the surviving spouse, attorneys, and the personal representative for the estate. Each person has a different interest in the probate that is protected by Wisconsin law. Because of those protected interests, the steps undertaken to complete a probate can be lengthy, time-consuming, and costly. For further information about probate law in Wisconsin please contact the lawyers at Vanden Heuvel & Dineen today.
Elder Law
Much of our estate planning and probate practice focuses on the legal needs of the disabled and elderly. Long term care can have a devastating effect on the finances of a family, and many people do not realize that the law lets them arrange their finances so that they don't have to spend all of their money on long term health care. We provide comprehensive legal advice to our elderly clients and families in the areas of:
- Asset protection planning
- Conservatorships and guardianships
- Health care directives
- Living wills
- Powers of attorney
- Wills and trusts
For further information about elder law issues in Wisconsin please contact the lawyers at Vanden Heuvel & Dineen today.
