Estate Planning

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Joan Reed Wilson, Esq., LLC
The Personal Touch Your Most Important Decisions Deserve

• Estate planning is not just for the wealthy.

Regardless of your age or income level, it is important for everyone to have a plan in place to outline your desires for how to handle your finances and health care decisions. At Joan Reed Wilson, Esq., LLC, we offer a wide range of estate planning services. Contact us for more information. "Test Your Estate Planning I.Q.". 

• Under Connecticut laws, if you die without a will your spouse may be left with only one-half of your estate, with the other half distributed to your children--even if they are minors!

With a will, you have the option of keeping decisions on how your assets are distributed in your own hands. A will is especially important for people with minor children. It is the one place where you can nominate a guardian for your children if something happens to you and your spouse before they reach age 18. For more information on Wills, read Joan's article "Why You Need A Will".

We can also set up trusts for children so that if something happens to you before your children turn 21, their inheritance can be kept secure and used for the proper purposes until they are responsible enough. If you have a child with special needs, we can establish a Special Needs Trust for that child's lifetime. For more information on Trusts, read Joan's article "What Trusts Can Do For You".

If you are interested in avoiding probate, we can assist by establishing a living trust. Any assets that are transferred into the living trust will pass to your designated beneficaries without having to go through the probate process.

Estate tax planning is part of the estate plan. Currently, the federal and Connecticut estate tax exemption is $2 million per person. If your estate is over the estate tax exemption, we may be able to establish an estate plan that eliminates estate taxes. For more information on estate taxes and a guide to test to your own estate, see Joan's article "Guide to Estate Taxes".

Estate planning also includes planning for potential incapacity. By establishing a health care directive, you can guide your loved ones in making health care decisions on your behalf in case there comes a day when you cannot make those decisions for yourself. 

You can outline your own decisions regarding your finances by working with us to establish a power of attorney. There are several types of powers of attorney that can used to fit your needs, including a general durable power of attorney that becomes immediately effective, or a springing durable power of attorney that becomes effective only when you become incapacitated.

Attorney Joan Reed Wilson encourages individuals, couples, and families to start planning now. She understands that people are often nervous about speaking with a lawyer. Her approach to working with people is to view it as a collaborative process. Oftentimes she is able to tell people the cost for her estate planning services during the first consultation.

Contact Joan Reed Wilson Today.

Available evenings and weekends by appointment.

Joan Reed Wilson, Esq., LLC
9 Old Post Road
Clinton, CT 06413
Phone: (860) 669-1222
Fax: (860) 669-9800

Joan Reed Wilson, Esq., LLC, is located in Clinton, Connecticut, and serves clients on the Connecticut Shoreline and throughout Middlesex County, including the communities of Clinton, Killingworth, Essex, Westbrook, Guilford, Branford, Madison, Old Saybrook, Deep River, Haddam, and Higganum.