Comprehensive Estate Planning Services in St. Louis County, MO
Special Trust Legal LLC
Providing customized estate planning through efficient and streamlined processes. Plan to protect your loved ones and legacy with our clear guidance and action steps.
Estate Planning Attorney Jennifer DiCarlo brings over two decades of professional experience to her personalized estate planning services. She goes beyond drafting legal documents to create a comprehensive, cohesive estate strategy that brings you peace of mind. Between wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, she helps her St. Louis County, MO clients stay ahead of every eventuality and rest easily. Take control of your finances and your legacy with help from Jennifer DiCarlo and the team at Special Trust Legal.
Don't wait until it's too late.
Contact Special Trust Legal now to secure your and your family’s future with a robust estate plan.
What Is Estate Planning and Why Is It Important?
Estate planning leverages a range of legal tools to protect you, your assets, and your wishes for your estate. During your lifetime, estate planning documents such as power of attorney and advanced healthcare directives offer security in the face of emergency. After you pass away, a last will and testament names your beneficiaries while trusts help your assets bypass Missouri probate. Estate planning is a must for people of all ages, but especially for those who are older or for families with special needs.
Last Will and Testament
A Last Will and Testament is a fundamental component of any estate plan. This legal document designates how to divide your assets upon your death. It also enables you to appoint guardians for minor children and express your final wishes clearly. By outlining your specific desires in a will, you can alleviate the burden on your loved ones during an already challenging time.
However, a will isn’t everything. It must go through probate, a public process in Missouri that can take months or years. This is why you should supplement your will with trusts to get around probate and provide for your loved ones.
Revocable Trusts
Revocable Trusts offer greater flexibility and privacy than a will. Once you’ve established such a trust, you can alter it as your circumstances change. If you become incapacitated, a revocable trust can allow a designated trustee to step in and handle your affairs without court intervention. After you pass, revocable trusts can seamlessly transfer assets to beneficiaries without going through probate.
Irrevocable Trusts
Irrevocable Trusts are a powerful tool to protect and control your assets even after you pass away. Irrevocable trusts can be used to fund all sorts of goals including minimizing estate taxes, accessing government benefits and protecting assets. Unlike a Revocable Trust, an Irrevocable Trust cannot be unilaterally altered by the grantor who has effectively transferred all ownership of assets into the trust. To modify these trusts, legal counsel and potentially a court order may be required.
Durable Financial Power of Attorney
A Durable Financial Power of Attorney appoints someone to manage your financial affairs if you become incapacitated. When you recover, you’ll find that the appointee has paid your bills, maintained your investments, and handled other financial matters in your best interest. Hospitalization and incapacitation become more likely with age, and your other responsibilities can easily spiral out of control.
But with a durable power of attorney, you can rest assured knowing that your finances are always safe. You can grant broad or limited powers to your chosen agent, preserving control even when you need to trust someone else.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
A Healthcare Power of Attorney, including an advance healthcare directive, details your preferences and designates someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if needed. If you become incapacitated and need medical assistance, the default is for your treatment to fall to the doctors. Creating a directive gives you a voice who understands your values and priorities to speak for you even when you can’t. For clients with specific religious beliefs, it becomes all the more imperative to have a voice which accurately informs end of life decisions.
Estate Planning & Trusts... Simplified!
Book a Call with a Trusted St. Louis Estate Planning Attorney
Book a call with Special Trust Legal today to secure your family’s future. We’ll help you plan for the rest of your life and beyond.