Lanman Rayne, PLLC
Lanman Law is a small law firm focusing on Estate Planning, Tax Preparation, and Business Law. This unique combination allows us to help the senior community by providing a “one-stop-shop” for both legal and tax services. That means you only have to deal with one advisor to do both your estate plan and yearly income tax return!
Many people are aware that they need to file a yearly tax return but may overlook the importance of having an estate plan in place. Sometimes this is due to confusion about what an estate plan involves.
An estate plan is composed of several documents: a will, a power of attorney, an advanced health care directive, and sometimes one or more trusts.  Not all of these documents are present in every estate plan because each estate plan is crafted to meet the individual client’s wishes, desires, and needs. Which of these documents will be used in your estate plan should be discussed with your attorney.
The documents that make up an estate plan allow you to decide who will inherit your property and what medical decisions should be made for you in the event that you are unable to make decisions for yourself. Sometimes an estate plan can even offer the opportunity to save estate taxes and avoid probate.
Reviewing your estate plan regularly is also important. If it has been more than 10 years since you had any of your estate plan written, or there has been any change in assets or family structure, then it is recommended that you have those documents reviewed by an attorney to make sure that they still carry out your wishes.
We understand that creating an estate plan can be a daunting task for our clients, and we do our best to make the process as simple and seamless as possible. We can even combine meetings to discuss your estate plan at the same time that you drop off your tax preparation documents. If you think you could use our help with your estate plan, your tax return or both, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.