Estate Planning

Scott counsels clients by educating them about the estate planning process and efficiently eliciting information necessary to identify their goals. The next step is producing the plan documents.

The basic documents everyone needs include an Advance Directive for Healthcare (Medical Power of Attorney and Living Will) to nominate who makes your health decisions if you cannot; a Financial Power of Attorney to nominate who handles your personal and business affairs if you cannot; and finally, a Will and/or Trust to direct what happens to your stuff when you die.

If your goals indicate the need,  a trust may be part of your plan. A trust separates legal ownership and administrative duties from beneficial interests. Trusts are tailored to a client's specific intent  and can be relatively simple or extremely intricate.

Probate & Trust Administration

Scott counsels Personal Representatives (Executors), Trustees and Beneficiaries regarding the administration of probate and trust matters. A Personal Representative usually needs legal advice to navigate a probate court case. A Trustee has fiduciary duties to administer the trust; to protect, invest and distribute assets for the beneficiaries; and, to comply with state and federal tax laws. A Beneficiary should understand the trust and know the Personal Representative’s duties both to the trust and to the Beneficiary.

Business

Scott helps small businesses and their owners from start-up to dissolution or sale including formative entity choices/creation, ongoing entity management, stock option plans, succession planning, buy-sell agreements, and compliance with state and federal law.