Middlebury Estate Planning Lawyer

Middlebury Estate Planning Attorney

Middlebury is a peaceful suburban town in New Haven County offering beautiful natural scenery and a welcoming community. Many older adults and retirees are drawn to the area for its tranquility, and while it’s important to enjoy one’s golden years, it is also crucial to think about estate planning. This is a difficult topic for many people, but a Middlebury estate planning lawyer can help you develop a comprehensive estate plan that benefits your loved ones.

Experienced Legal Counsel for Estate Planning in Middlebury

Burns Thomas, LLC, has experience helping clients in Middlebury and the surrounding communities of Connecticut with estate planning. Many people mistakenly assume that their assets are too limited for estate planning to be a concern, and others simply do not understand the benefits of having a properly constructed and comprehensive estate plan. Our goal is to help our clients make legally enforceable estate plans that protect their families’ interests.

A recent survey reported that as of 2024, only about 32% of Americans have an estate plan. Those who do not have an estate plan in place reported that procrastination and the belief that they don’t have enough assets were the leading causes of not creating plans. Some believe that it is too expensive to create one, not realizing the potential cost of probate if they were to die with no estate plan in place.

Our firm can review the details of your individual situation and help you create a comprehensive estate plan that suits your family’s interests. If a person dies in Connecticut without an estate plan in place, their estate enters probate, a notoriously tedious, difficult, and expensive process for their surviving family members. We can help you develop a plan that meets your needs and limits your family’s risk of facing probate after your death.

Creating Your Estate Plan in Middlebury

It’s possible to customize an estate plan in various ways to suit your needs and concerns for the future. Today, a comprehensive estate plan typically consists of a last will and testament, an advanced medical care directive that explains what type of medical care you wish to receive in an emergency or for end-of-life treatment, and a power of attorney that designates a trusted representative to make legal decisions on your behalf.

It is also possible to create a trust, and this type of estate plan can potentially enable your family to avoid a lengthy and difficult probate process after your death. When you place your assets in a trust, this will enable the trustee you designate to control and distribute the contents of the trust after your death according to your wishes. There are different types of trusts you could create, each with potential benefits for you and your family.

For example, an irrevocable trust does not allow you to make any adjustments to it once it has been created, but it can provide greater tax benefits to your family. By comparison, a revocable trust provides flexibility, allowing you to adjust the contents of the trust in the future if you desire, but it does not provide the same level of tax benefits as an irrevocable trust. This is just one of the questions your Middlebury estate planning lawyer can help you address.

Ultimately, estate planning may be a difficult subject for some, but having the right Middlebury estate planning lawyer helping with your estate plan can ensure you achieve your desired results. The team at Burns Thomas, LLC, takes a client-focused approach to estate planning in Middlebury, and we are confident we can develop a plan tailored to your needs and expectations. Reach out to our firm at your first opportunity to 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.

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FAQs

The team at Burns Thomas, LLC, can help you create a legally enforceable estate plan that provides financial security and peace of mind to you and your loved ones. It’s vital to have legal counsel you can trust on your side for this process, and we possess the skills and experience needed to address the most complex estate planning concerns. Contact us today to schedule your consultation with a Middlebury estate planning lawyer you can trust.