Comprehensive estate planning covers nearly every aspect of life. It begins with protecting yourself and your personal dignity, and extends to protecting your loved ones and your hard-earned assets.
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There are many legal strategies involved in estate planning, including wills, revocable living trusts, irrevocable trusts, durable powers of attorney, and health care documents.
Learn more about the Estate Planning process.
Probate and estate administration are the processes through which estate assets are transferred after death. Assets to be transferred under terms of a will go through probate. Assets transferred outside of a will, such as by operation of law, or those planned for in a trust are handled through an Administration process. Administration also refers to the process whereby assets are transferred by rules of the state when there is no will. We can help make the process easier, more efficient, and provide peace of mind during a difficult time.
Learn more about Succession or Probate Law.
Elder law is another aspect of estate planning, focusing primarily on the needs of families and individuals as they age. Issues of aging include senior housing and home care, long-term (or nursing home) care, guardianships and health care documents, Medicare and Medicaid.
Learn more about Elder Law & Guardianship.
A properly drafted and funded trust will generally avoid probate. The trust need not be filed with the probate court. Nonetheless, there are still steps necessary to administer the trust: beneficiaries must be contacted; assets must be gathered, valued and managed; potential creditors must be notified; debts, taxes and final expenses must be paid; and, ultimately, any remaining income and assets must be distributed in compliance with the trust terms.
Find out more about Estate Administration.
We encourage and assist the tradition of giving to charitable causes, including the employment of tax-advantaged strategies that maximize the value of your gift. We help clients make charitable gifts and practice good stewardship in the most tax-efficient manner.
Learn more about Charitable Planning Strategies.
Historically speaking, the federal estate tax is an excise tax levied on the transfer of a person's assets after death. In actuality, it is neither a death tax nor an inheritance tax, but more accurately a transfer tax. There are three distinct aspects to federal estate taxes that comprise what is called the Unified Transfer Tax: Estate Taxes, Gift Taxes, and Generation- Skipping Transfer Taxes. Legal planning to avoid or minimize federal estate taxes is both a prudent and an important aspect of comprehensive estate planning.
Learn more about Estate Tax Planning.
Family businesses are the backbone of the American economy. From agriculture to services, technology and manufacturing, family businesses generate an estimated one-half of the U.S. Gross National Product and pay half of all wages earned in this country.
Find out how we can help you preserve your family business.
"Aid and Attendance Pension" is a special Veteran's Program designed to help veterans and/or their surviving spouses receive the financial support necessary to ensure their continuing care in their own home or in an assisted living or nursing home setting. Benefits may also be available for house-bound individuals that require daily assistance to maintain their health, dignity and safety.
Learn more about Veteran's Aid and Attendance.
Asset protection planning involves making prudent decisions today to protect yourself, your business, and your hard-earned assets from loss due to lawsuits, creditors or bankruptcies.
Find out how we can help you protect your assets today.
Have Questions?
If you have a question, a comment, or simply want to have a conversation and explore how we can help, we’d love to hear from you.
John Harris – Estate Planning Attorney
7591 Fern Avenue, Ste 1303
Shreveport, LA 71105
