Estate Planning

Taking care of tomorrow.

Estate planning is a little trickier in today’s modern world. Many couples are in second relationships, so we often start by reviewing current wills and trusts to correct beneficiary designations and prevent potential lawsuits or ill will from ex-spouses or children. Likewise, we will work with your attorney to make sure life insurance has the correct beneficiaries designation for each investment. We also must consider current estate tax rules, monitoring clients’ past estate planning to avoid over-planning (i.e., creating unnecessary trusts), thus saving legal fees.

Taking into account your personal history and prospective goals, ZFS looks carefully at each aspect of estate designation, encouraging clients to use the “lifetime exclusion,” at a minimum, and explaining how trusts work in this situation. Just like your financial goals, estate plans must be customized for how you want to prepare for tomorrow. We’re here to guide you along the path to a secure and happy future that includes passing your legacy—not your burdens—on to the next generation.