Monday, May 09, 2011 Inheritance Protection
Make sure your inheritance isn’t squandered!
Before we can help you write your will, trust, and power of attorney, we must understand your concerns and goals for estate planning. Many people have an overarching goal—that is, they want to be assured that the inheritance they are leaving to someone isn’t squandered.
Protecting an inheritance is a crucial goal, and one that we specialize in helping people deal with every day. But protected from whom and what, exactly? Here are a few answers, and they depend on who the person is:
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If the beneficiary is a minor, obviously we want to ensure the inheritance is used for their benefit and their benefit only.
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If the beneficiary has a spending problem, substance abuse problem, etc., our goal would be to limit how the inheritance can be spent.
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Is the beneficiary in a relationship with a daughter-in-law or son-in-law that you don’t care for or have a concern about? Worried that the inheritance would go to your beneficiary’s spouse upon divorce? We devise solutions to deal with these problems on a regular basis.
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What about beneficiaries in high risk professions, such as lawyers or doctors, where lawsuits are prevalent and where the inheritance could be attached to a lawsuit?
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Special needs beneficiaries, of which 15-20% of people are, must have their inheritance put into a special needs trust if you don’t want the inheritance to be squandered to cover costs that public benefits, such as SSI or Medicaid, would otherwise cover.
These are a few of many reasons why people are coming to us every day to make sure the inheritance they leave to someone else isn’t squandered. Remember, sometimes we know of these types of issues now or ahead of time. But more often, we cannot predict what will happen in the future. Do you want to risk your inheritance being used the wrong way? We can help craft a flexible plan that ensures your inheritance will go where you want it to go.
Let us know if we can help you protect your legacy. Call today for a complementary appointment, (215) 706-0200. |