Estate Planning

What Will Happen
To Your Legacy?

Have you ever wondered what will become of your assets and cherished possessions once you're no longer here?
Estate planning is the key to ensuring that your wishes are carried out precisely as you envision.
Have you taken the necessary steps to secure your legacy and protect your loved ones?
Let's explore the options together!

Estate planning is the process of arranging for the management and disposal of your estate during your life and after your death. At Douglas H. McPhail, PLC, we can help you plan for every life stage. It's never too early (or late) to start estate planning. While we understand it can be difficult thinking about a time when you won't be able to express your final wishes, it's important you talk to us as soon as possible to discuss your future.

In our experience, a good estate plan cannot be created without taking the time to discover information about you, your health, your goals and wishes, as well as, a careful review of what you own, how it is titled, and what it is worth.

Estate Planning is much more than getting a will...

Estate Planning provides:

Peace of mind ensuring that your estate and assets are in order and your wishes for distribution will be honored
A financial power of attorney that ensures the person you choose takes care of your financial matters if you were unable to act for yourself
A medical power of attorney that ensures the person you choose takes care of your medical matters if you were unable to act for yourself
Your preferences for end-of-life care to be documented so they are carried out if they need to be
Fair results for children of blended families
Protection and planning for minor children, as well as special needs children

A legal Will that describes how you want assets to be distributed
Clear instructions for beneficiary designations to eliminate confusion or friction from your loved ones when you are gone
Control for your affairs and your assets for as long as possible
Asset protection and privacy from probate, which would otherwise put the court in charge of your estate and assets
Asset protection from nursing home spend-downs to avoid nursing home poverty
Pre-planning, or determination of your eligibility for Medicaid in the event that you or your spouse go into a nursing home
Reduction of income, estate or inheritance taxes
You being able to create a community impact through charity and planned-giving

Call our Client Care Specialist: (231) 799-4994

The estate planning process involves key steps
to ensure your wishes are followed:

Step 1:

Contact our office for a free get acquainted call with our Client Care Specialist. If you determine you would like to proceed, an appointment will be made and you will receive our Confidential Estate Planning Discovery Workbook

Step 2:

After completing your Confidential Estate Planning Discovery Workbook, we’ll help you refine your planning goals in a way that allows you to select the right plan for your family

Step 3:

Once you’ve selected the right plan for your family, we help you clarify the details of your plan including who should be named as your trusted helpers and how to manage and distribute assets

Step 4:

Once we’ve completed your plan design, it is our practice to review and explain your planning documents in practical terms to ensure your goals are met. If the plan meets with your approval, your planning documents are signed and you take them home in a custom planning portfolio

Step 5:

Creating planning documents without identifying what you own and how to properly title your assets leads to plan failure. It’s our practice to prepare a summary of your assets along with detailed instructions about how to title them in a way that meets your goals. Our clients use a living trust to meet their goals. In order for your trust to work, assets must be retitled from your name to the name of your trust. This step is commonly known as “trust funding”

We are committed to taking care of you and providing a superior level
of service through every step of your estate planning process.

We are waiting for your call:

(231) 799-4994

What Will Happen
To Your Legacy?

Estate Planning is much more than getting a will...

The estate planning process involves key steps
to ensure your wishes are followed:

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Step 5:

About Our Firm

Practice Areas

Resources

Contact Us

What Will HappenTo Your Legacy?

Estate Planning is much more than getting a will...

The estate planning process involves key steps to ensure your wishes are followed:

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Step 5:

About Our Firm

Practice Areas

Resources

Contact Us

What Will Happen
To Your Legacy?

The estate planning process involves key steps
to ensure your wishes are followed: