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Estate planning

Make sure your wealth passes exactly as you intend

We work alongside your attorney to keep your accounts titled correctly, your beneficiaries current, and your wishes honored.

Start estate planning Will vs. trust

With your attorney

Coordinated

Available

Trust services

Recommended review

3–5 years

Will only

A simple starting point, but your estate goes through probate.

ProbateRequired

PrivacyPublic record

SpeedCan take months

Cost to set upLower

Living trust

Avoids probate and keeps your estate private, for most situations.

ProbateAvoided

PrivacyPrivate

SpeedFaster transfer

Cost to set upHigher

Our services

Protecting your legacy, coordinated with your attorney

Beneficiary designation review

Outdated beneficiaries are one of the most common estate planning mistakes — we audit every account.

Trust account management

Trustee and custodial services for revocable, irrevocable and testamentary trusts.

Estate tax minimization

Gifting strategies and trust structures designed to reduce your taxable estate.

Power of attorney coordination

Make sure the right people have the access they need in an emergency.

Business succession planning

Buy-sell agreements and funding strategies for a smooth ownership transition.

Charitable legacy giving

Leave a lasting gift to the causes you care about, tax-efficiently.

When to review

Signs it's time to update your plan

A marriage or divorce

Update beneficiaries and account titling to reflect your current family.

A new child or grandchild

Add guardianship wishes and update who inherits what.

A beneficiary has passed away

Remove outdated beneficiaries so your estate passes as intended.

Your assets have grown significantly

Review whether trust structures or tax strategies now make sense.

It's been more than 5 years

Laws and your life both change — a periodic review keeps your plan current.

How it works

How we build your estate plan

Step 1
Document review
We review your existing will, trust documents, beneficiary designations and asset titling.
Step 2
Strategy development
Working with your attorney, we recommend asset titling, trust structures and transfer strategies.
Step 3
Implementation
We coordinate account retitling, beneficiary updates and fund transfers.
Step 4
Ongoing monitoring
We review your plan after major life events, and at least every 3 to 5 years.

FAQs

Your questions answered

It depends on your situation. A will alone goes through probate — a public, sometimes slow process. A living trust avoids probate, enables faster asset transfer and provides privacy. For most people with meaningful assets, a trust is worth considering.

Your state's intestacy laws determine who inherits, which may not match your intentions. Accounts with named beneficiaries pass outside probate, but everything else is distributed by the court.

Review it every 3 to 5 years, and after major life events: marriage, divorce, a new child or grandchild, the death of a beneficiary, or a significant change in your finances.

The IRS sets a federal estate tax exemption each year, and it's adjusted periodically. Assets above the threshold may be subject to estate tax — ask us for the current figure and how it applies to you.

Yes. We coordinate directly with your estate attorney to make sure your investment strategy and legal documents are aligned.

Ready to protect your legacy?

Talk to an estate planning advisor about your family and your wishes.

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