Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning, Tax Planning
Get Estate Planning Services in Connecticut and Massachusetts
Estate Planning
Estate planning involves more than just writing a will. When done correctly, organizing your assets and documents now can help avoid family conflict and legal costs in the future. Due to the complexity of the process, you need an estate planning attorney who understands not only the legal documentation, but also tax law and-importantly-your family's emotional needs. Fournier Legal Services offers comprehensive estate planning services for residents in East Haven and New Haven, CT.
If you don't get estate planning services before you die, the division of your assets will be decided by the East Haven, CT court system. Call 860-670-3535 now to schedule a consultation with an estate planning attorney.
Our Process
Get answers to all of your estate planning questions
Don't wait until it's too late to make a plan for your assets. Our attorneys can assist you with the following estate planning services:
- Wills
- Powers of attorney
- Living wills
- Trusts
- Trust administration
- Probate services
- Elder law
We strive to make estate planning hassle-free. After working with one of our estate planning attorneys, you'll have peace of mind knowing you've done everything you can to protect your beneficiaries.
"I have used Fournier Legal Services for creating corporate documents as well as Will and Estate planning. I find Joe and his legal team to be extremely knowledgeable, honest and ethical. Not only were they able to help me accomplish my goals, they also think outside the box and guided me in directions I was unaware of. Truly a great experience."
- Ben F.
Health Care Representative and
Living Will
We would like to thank all of the Connecticut residents who participated in our free health care document program in April and May.
The entire process may still be done remotely, without the need for an in-person visit. Residents may start the process below.
Your health care documents name someone to make medical and life care decisions for you when you are unable to do so yourself and tells others what your personal choices are about end-of-life medical treatment.
Estate Planning FAQs
What is an estate plan, and do I need one?
An estate plan is the creation of an orderly method of distribution of your assets for use and enjoyment for future generations. Many of us spend much of our lifetimes working and accumulating assets, and an effective estate plan ensures that you maximize the portion of your assets that may be enjoyed by your beneficiaries, rather than given to, or taken by, the government.
Should I create a health care power of attorney?
A health care power of attorney allows you to designate someone you trust to make important health-related decisions on your behalf if you become mentally or physically incapacitated. Alternatively, in the absence of this designation, you could be subject to an expensive and potentially humiliating conservatorship or guardianship proceeding pursuant to which the probate court will appoint someone to take control of your assets and personal affairs.
What is the difference between a Will and a Living Trust?
A Will is a legal document that takes effect upon your death and describes how your assets should be distributed after death. A will, however, remains subject to the probate process, a legal process that is potentially cumbersome, time-consuming, expensive, and emotionally traumatic during a family's time of grief and vulnerability.
A Living Trust is a legal instrument that takes effect upon its creation, and that allows you to maintain control of your property now and after death, without the need for probate. Because the trust legally owns the assets, any assets placed in a properly-drafted trust avoid probate and remove any dispute about the distribution of the assets post-death. You may be the trustee during your lifetime, and upon any specified event of your choosing including, but not limited to your death, the successor trustee you have selected gains control of your assets and distributes them according to your instructions.
Which assets may I place into a Living Trust?
All of them! You may place any of your assets, including - and especially - real estate owned in other states, into your Living Trust. You will continue to own, control, recognize income and expenses, and file tax returns for all of your assets, just as you did prior to the creation of the trust.
What happens if I do not create an estate plan?
If you do not have an estate plan, your estate will go thru probate. Probate is a state-mandated process that may be expensive and time-consuming, and it takes place in the public domain. You will likely pay more in taxes, and you will almost certainly pay more to the legal system (attorneys and court costs). Additionally, you have less control over who receives your assets. In fact, court approval would be required to do even the most basic of things, such as paying your spouse an allowance, paying recurring bills, and accounting for your property. A well-executed estate plan results in more favorable results all around.
Should I create a health care power of attorney?
A health care power of attorney allows you to designate someone you trust to make important health-related decisions on your behalf if you become mentally or physically incapacitated. Alternatively, in the absence of this designation, you could be subject to an expensive and potentially humiliating conservatorship or guardianship proceeding pursuant to which the probate court will appoint someone to take control of your assets and personal affairs.
If I set up a Living Trust, who is the Trustee?
You are! Or you and your spouse can act as co-trustees. You retain total control over all trust assets, and then, in the event of death or physical or mental incapacitation, the successor trustee you have selected assumes control over your affairs. In the absence of a living trust, the court may appoint someone else to assume control over, and manage the distribution of many of your assets.
Is estate planning just for the rich (or just for people who own more than your state's death tax exemption)
Absolutely not! Proper estate planning is important for anyone who has any assets and/or beneficiaries. If you have any assets, children, other close relatives or friends, or a favorite charity or social club, then you should at least consider preparing an estate plan. Proper planning now will cost your estate - and your intended beneficiaries - only a fraction of the cost they will incur in the probate process. More importantly, proper planning now helps avoid many of the potential disputes and/or much of the emotional trauma that may result from a disputed will and/or an expensive, public probate process.