Estate Planning for Families

Planning Around Your Family’s Reality

The right plan looks different for every family. These are the situations we help with most often.

Young Families and New Parents

The birth of a child is one of the most important triggers for estate planning. A will lets you name a guardian for your minor children, so they are cared for by someone you have chosen rather than someone a court appoints. A trust lets you hold assets for your children until they reach an age of financial maturity, rather than handing over a lump sum at eighteen.

Blended Families

Blended families face planning challenges traditional structures do not: protecting children from a prior relationship, balancing a current spouse against children from a previous marriage, and preventing unintended disinheritance. Without careful planning, assets can pass entirely to a surviving spouse and ultimately to their heirs rather than to your own children. A well-structured trust with clear terms addresses these dynamics explicitly.

Special Needs Planning

Families with a child or dependent who receives needs-based government benefits face a specific challenge: leaving assets directly to that person can disqualify them from SSI, Medicaid, or other programs they depend on. A Special Needs Trust lets you provide for your loved one without affecting their eligibility, holding assets for their supplemental needs without counting as their personal assets under program rules.