“You’re a straight shooter, Robert. I appreciate your honesty.”

No one likes to think about their mortality, but unfortunately, it’s something none of us will avoid. By taking the time to plan ahead for the inevitable you can help your loved ones avoid or minimize fighting by making your wishes known now. Wills and Trust are not just tools for those near the end of their life with a large estate; if you have children, a business, a home, collectables, small estate, or a large estate, just to name a few, you should be thinking about doing a will or trust.

Parents with young children should absolutely think about doing a will. Have you taken the time to consider what would happen to your children if you and your spouse were on a date night and were killed in a car accident? Who would raise your children as close to the manner and with the same care that you would have? How would your children be provided for?

Estate Planning can also help you prepare for what happens when you are no longer capable of taking care of yourself. Who do you want to take care of your affairs, both financially and making medical decisions for you?

• Wills
• Trusts
• Power of Attorney
• Living Durable Power of Attorney and Health Care
• Trust Amendments (even from other states, if you’ve moved here)
• Codicils
• Guardianship & Conservatorship – Do you have a loved one who is no longer able to attend to their financial & health needs.

When a loved one passes there are often assets, accounts, bills and personal items that must be paid or disbursed. It’s important that a Personal Representative take responsibility for the estate of the deceased and that a probate is opened before anyone starts taking items. There is a process in the courts for the distribution of the estate. I can help you through this process. You only have three years to start the probate, after which a probate cannot be filed, but if you are a family that has failed to file a probate in three years, don’t despair because there is still a way to disburse assets and I can help with that as well.

• Surviving Spouse probate (often over ignored, but necessary)
• Probate of Estate
• Determination of Heirs (probate after three-year deadline)
• Trust administration

I represent both tenants and landlords in all aspects of the landlord/tenant relationship including the negotiation and preparation of leases. This includes retail, industrial, and other commercial property transactions, as well as drafting lease language to meet the varied needs of our clients. Landlord/tenant issues can affect individuals who have entered into residential leases, businesses involved in commercial leases, storage facilities, and mobile home parks.