Cheshire Wills and Trusts Lawyer
Cheshire is a beautiful community of about 29,000 residents and is often cited as one of the most desirable places to live in Connecticut. It’s a very business-friendly town that has seen tremendous growth in recent years, and it’s also a great place to raise a family. While thinking about your estate could be uncomfortable in some ways, it is never too early to consult a Cheshire wills and trusts attorney to start preparing for your family’s future.
Experienced Legal Counsel for Wills and Trusts in Cheshire, CT
Burns Thomas, LLC can provide compassionate legal counsel for creating your estate plan in Cheshire. Wills and trusts are just two options to consider when planning for the future. We approach every case with the goal of addressing our client’s individual needs and goals. Your Cheshire estate planning lawyer can explain the benefits of crafting a comprehensive estate plan that can help your family navigate estate administration more easily.
A recent Caring study revealed that, as of 2025, only about 24% of Americans have a will. Of those surveyed, about 43% of those without a will cited procrastination as the reason they have not yet made one. About 56% stated that they did not consider it a pressing concern or that they believed they did not own enough assets to require a will. The reality is that creating an estate provides peace of mind and can eventually provide several important benefits to your family.
Building an Estate Plan in Cheshire
A will is a foundational document for anyone’s estate. This document sets out the individual’s wishes for the distribution of their assets after their death. When you create a will with the help of a Cheshire wills and trusts attorney, they can assist you in making informed decisions, explain the various options you have for creating this document, and account for various eventualities that will ultimately help your family resolve estate administration efficiently.
During estate administration, the probate court will review the decedent’s will to ensure it is legally enforceable and valid. The court can also hear arguments from beneficiaries or other parties with valid interests in the contents of the estate.
Connecticut Probate Courts heard 8,647 will admissions and 66 will contests during fiscal year 2023. Probate is a notoriously difficult process that unfolds according to Connecticut’s intestate succession laws, and even a properly crafted will is not entirely immune to contests. Your Cheshire wills and trusts attorney at Burns Thomas, LLC can explain the other options you have that could make probate easier for your family or help them avoid it entirely.
During estate administration, the probate court will review the decedent’s will to ensure it is legally enforceable and valid. The court can also hear arguments from beneficiaries or other parties with valid interests in the contents of the estate.
One such option is to create a trust. When you place your assets into a trust, this will effectively remove your ownership of those assets and assign them to a trustee that you choose. This individual will then be tasked with distributing the contents of the trust according to your will, circumventing a difficult probate case and potentially saving your family a great deal of money on probate court fees and estate taxes.
It’s possible to configure a trust in different ways. For example, a revocable trust can be modified in the future, but it does not provide the same level of tax protection as an irrevocable trust. An irrevocable trust generally provides greater protection from estate taxes, but it cannot be modified once created. Your attorney can help you make an informed decision when it comes to creating a trust in Cheshire.
Ultimately, estate creation can be challenging in several ways, but a Cheshire wills and trusts attorney at Burns Thomas, LLC will be an invaluable asset for guiding you through this process and creating an estate plan that makes you feel more confident about your future. Our team is ready to provide individualized legal counsel, so reach out to us as soon as possible and learn more about our legal services.
Whether the best option for you is a comprehensive will, the establishment of trusts or other estate planning solutions, we will find a solution that fits your needs.
FAQs
In Cheshire, your estate plan could include a last will and testament, which includes instructions for the distribution of your estate’s contents to your family and other beneficiaries. You can also designate a Power of Attorney, enabling a personal representative to make legal decisions for you, and an Advanced Care Directive can provide specific instructions as to the medical treatments you prefer when required. A trust can protect your estate from probate.
The type of trust you should create depends on your personal financial situation, the types of assets you control, and what you want done with the contents of your estate after your death. If you want to maintain control over the trust until your death, a revocable trust can still help your family avoid probate. If you want to protect your assets and take advantage of tax benefits, an irrevocable trust is typically preferable.
You should hire a wills and trusts attorney to make sure that the estate plan you create is legally enforceable. This process requires careful consideration of various complex financial issues, some of which you may not be able to resolve on your own. You may also have more options for configuring your estate plan than you realized, and an experienced attorney can help you take full advantage of all such options.
The cost to hire a wills and trusts attorney in Cheshire typically depends on how much time your attorney must spend working on your estate planning documents. Some attorneys offer flat rates for specific legal services or for creating specific documents. It’s a good idea to meet with an experienced estate planning lawyer to discuss your goals, and they can provide an estimate of their fees.
The team at Burns Thomas, LLC is ready to help you make informed, confident decisions about estate planning in Cheshire. We have years of experience helping Connecticut residents develop comprehensive estate plans, including wills and trusts, and we are ready to assist you. Contact us today and schedule a consultation with our team to learn more about our legal services for estate creation in Cheshire.
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