St. John, Bowling & Lawrence provides the full range of estate planning and probate legal services, including the drafting of wills and living trusts, assistance with probate and estate administration, and representation in probate litigation before local courts. Clients of the firm, many of whom possess complex estates involving business interests and complicated real estate holdings, count on the attorneys at the firm to provide the advice and assistance necessary to ensure a complete estate plan that meets their goals for themselves and future generations.
Wills and Trusts
Depending upon the particular client’s needs, our estate planning attorneys draft wills and trusts that enable them to leave a legacy to future generations while preserving wealth and protecting assets during the client’s lifetime. Our firm is sensitive to important issues such as tax planning and business succession planning. We advise clients on their options and draft the necessary documents to effectuate a solid, comprehensive estate plan that addresses all of their interests.
Planning for incapacity is an equally important aspect of estate planning. With the right combination of advance directives, living wills, and powers of attorney, we help to ensure that our clients are taken care of and that their healthcare and financial affairs are managed in accordance with their wishes, if they ever become incapable of managing their affairs independently and making their wishes known. Careful planning can avoid the need for the imposition of guardianship in such situations. However, where guardianship is in the individual’s best interest, our firm can provide the necessary advice and representation with skill and compassion.
Probate & Estate Administration
Several steps are required to give effect to an estate. Depending upon how the estate was set up, this process may involve some degree of court intervention or supervision. Our firm can guide the estate’s appointed representative through some of the more difficult or challenging aspects of probate administration, including the inventory of assets, investing or disposing of property properly, notifying potential claimants, and making distributions in accordance with the will or trust documents.
Probate Litigation
Probate disputes can arise in a number of ways, such as challenges to the validity of a will, the existence of multiple wills, or claims that the executor or administrator of the estate overstepped or incorrectly performed required fiduciary duties. As experienced litigators, we zealously represent our clients’ interests and work to see that any probate dispute is satisfactorily resolved.
