ESTATE PLANNING
What is an Estate Plan?
The basic estate plan begins with a will, which names guardians for children and directs who receives your property but provides no protection in the case of incapacity and requires probate court to administer, or a revocable living trust, which also directs distribution of your property but avoids court, protects your children when coupled with proper affidavit planning, and protects you during incapacity. A durable power of attorney is additional protection during incapacity so someone you trust can manage your finances and legal affairs and keep your life in order. And a healthcare directive ensures that someone you trust can make important healthcare decisions on your behalf.
But when it’s not done right, what looks like a plan that’s “good enough” can unravel quickly, risking actions that can cause lasting damage in your absence- siblings torn apart by inheritance disputes, blended families unintentionally disinheriting loved ones, and conservatorships and probate that cause tension and drain time, money, and energy.
At Viridis Law, we begin with a detailed Life & Legacy Planning Session, where we take a comprehensive review of everything that’s important to you- all of your assets, your values, and the dynamics of your family and others you care about most. From this in-depth understanding of what’s most important to you, we are able to tailor a plan you can depend on to prevent conflict and protect what’s precious.
COMPREHENSIVE ESTATE PLANNING
Proactive Planning Designed to Shield Your Family and Your Wealth
Kids Protection Plan
As part of your plan, it’s crucial to keep your children's care and future in your hands, even when you can’t be there. With the proper documents in place, you can avoid leaving it to a judge, who doesn't know you or what matters to you, to decide who raises your children or handles the money you leave behind for them.As part of your plan, it’s crucial to keep your children's care and future in your hands, even when you can’t be there. With the proper documents in place, you can avoid leaving it to a judge, who doesn't know you or what matters to you, to decide who raises your children or handles the money you leave behind for them.
Asset Protection for Everyone
Asset protection is available to us all as a tool to help protect our families. With thoughtful, proactive planning, you can separate what you’ve worked hard to build from substantial risks such as lawsuits, creditors, and business liabilities.
OUR PROCESS
Your Roadmap to a Seamless Transition
Business succession planning can feel overwhelming, but our structured approach breaks it down into clear, manageable phases. We walk beside you through every step to ensure nothing is left to chance.
Discovery & Alignment - assess your current business plan and goals
Strategy Development - craft a customized transition and finalize legal framework for the transition
Ongoing Review - review the plan periodically and adjust as market conditions or personal goals change
Schedule a Free Initial Call Today
We are proud to offer a heart-centered approach with personalized attention to truly understand what you value most so that we can help you protect it. Call us today and let us tell you all about the special way we serve our clients.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why Do You Need Estate Planning?
With a thoughtful plan and guide, you can ease your family at a time of grief, preserve relationships, and find peace of mind.
Protect Minor Children
Imagine what would happen to your children if you didn’t make it home. That first night- is a stranger with child protective services caring for them? Have you prepared the proper documentation to make sure they get to the person you trust most to care for them? And even if you have, is there a plan in place to make sure they get there as quickly as possible? Make sure you have the proper plan and documents in place so your kids are never without someone they know and trust. Be the parent who follows through and continues to be a guiding hand, protecting them, even when you can’t be there.
Incapacity Care and Healthcare Directives
It matters who makes decisions for you in the event you become incapacitated or have a medical emergency. You want your personal healthcare wishes carried out the way you would for yourself, and when you return, you want your world to be as normal as possible. Make sure those decisions are made by the person you trust most, not someone decided by a judge, who doesn’t know you. With the proper planning, you can avoid devastating delays to healthcare decisions and someone you trust can make sure your finances run smoothly, saving your day-to-day life from becoming derailed long after you’ve recovered.
Avoid Probate Court
When faced with the prospect of handling a loved one’s estate in probate court, most people feel a sense of dread and don’t know where to start. Probate can be a slow process, draining finances and adding stress to your already grieving family, when they should be celebrating your life and the legacy you’ve left behind for them. It’s also a public forum that invites disputes from creditors and disgruntled family who can contest a will or trigger expensive litigation, wasting valuable resources and adding more stress to a grieving family. With a plan that works, all the additional grief and stress that probate presents can be avoided.
Book a Consult Call
Connect with an expert and explore your options.
PREDICTABLE FEES
Don't Be Afraid to Contact Your Advisor
Estate Planning
Fees for estate plans are always determined by you - flat rates based on the features you choose, giving you the opportunity to match priorities with your budget. You never have to worry about getting a mystery bill after a wide-ranging estimate of what your fee may be based on an hourly rate.
FAQ
Estate Planning Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to our most commonly asked questions.
Do I need an estate plan if I don't have significant assets?
Yes, you do. Regardless of your financial circumstances, an estate plan protects your personal and financial interests and helps ensure your wishes are respected. Even if you have modest assets, you may need to authorize someone you trust to make financial or medical decisions if you cannot make them yourself, and if you have minor children, planning for their care is especially important.
A good estate plan is not measured by the value of your assets, but by how effectively it protects the people and priorities that matter to you.
What is the difference between a will and a trust?
Wills and trusts are both important estate planning tools, but they serve different purposes.
A will generally directs how the assets in your estate will be distributed after your death and also allows you to nominate guardians for minor children. However, assets passing under a will may need to go through probate, a court-supervised process that involves additional time, expense, and public disclosure and can lead to family conflict.
A properly structured and funded living trust can allow assets to pass to your beneficiaries without probate. It can also provide greater flexibility, privacy, and control over when and how beneficiaries receive their inheritance and protects you during incapacity.
Neither option is automatically better for everyone. A thoughtfully designed estate plan considers more than what happens after death. It also addresses incapacity, family circumstances, financial risks, and the responsibilities that loved ones may face.
At Viridis Law, we help you understand the differences and choose the approach that best serves your goals.
What happens if I become incapacitated and cannot make decisions for myself?
Without proper planning, valuable time may be lost while your loved ones seek court authority to manage your finances or make certain decisions about your care. An effective plan, typically centered around a trust, with a healthcare directive and durable power of attorney, allows you to designate someone you trust to handle your financial matters on your behalf and make medical decisions and communicate your treatment preferences.
Incapacity planning is an essential part of an effective, comprehensive estate plan because protecting your future means planning for what could happen during your lifetime, not just after your death.
How often should an estate plan be updated?
It’s easy to forget that your estate plan should change after significant life events like the birth of children or grandchildren, marriage, death of someone close to you, and the purchase of major assets, so we recommend a regular schedule to review your estate plan at least every 3 years. We review plans with our clients on a regular basis to make sure important documents like durable powers of attorney don’t become stale and catch changes that should be made to ensure their entire plan remains effective.
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Let’s Stay Connected
Whether it's estate planning, legal guidance for your business, or both, our regular newsletters keep you connected and informed with practical tips, updates, and encouragement to keep your plan up to date, your business in the right direction, and your mind at peace.
Contact Us
317-676-6588
info@viridislaw.com
320 N. Meridian Street, Suite 1022, Indianapolis, IN 46204