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Customized Estate Planning Services

The path you have taken to accumulate a lifetime’s worth of assets is one of a kind, and so is your estate itself. You and your family are unique, and so are your goals for the future. Needless to say, your estate plan should be just as unique. There is no one-size-fits-all.

At Howie Law Office, PLLC, our attorneys provide customized estate planning services. We get to know you, your family situation, your concerns and your objectives. Only after we learn about you can we create an estate plan that truly meets your needs.

More Than 25 Years Of Estate Planning Experience

Since 1992, our lawyers have been creating estate plans for people throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Our experience has taught us that proper estate planning can not only protect assets, but help to increase the size of an estate, whether large or small. Its basic purposes are to (1) choose how property will be distributed after death, (2) plan for the care of loved ones and for the planner’s own disability and (3) minimize estate taxes.

An estate plan may include a variety of components, including:

Everyone Should Have A Will

Wills are very important documents and no person, regardless of how small the estate, should consider going without one. If you die without having a properly drafted will that meets the requirements of state law, you will let the courts decide who will receive your estate. Your estate could very well end up going to someone whom you did not want to receive even a penny of your estate.

Preparing your own will without the assistance of an attorney can have many pitfalls – it may not be compliant with the laws of your state, it may not contain the language necessary to avoid being challenged in court or it may be unclear, vague and therefore invite disputes and litigation by family members.

While a will offers much protection, many people may also want a more robust estate plan to ensure that they are protected in the event of incapacity and more. Count on us to guide you toward the estate plan that makes the most sense for you and your family.

Protection From Estate Taxes

Your estate may be taxable. If the total fair market value of your and your spouse’s assets (including the death benefit of your life insurance policies) are more than the amount of the federal and/or state estate tax exemption, your estate is taxable.

Although a spouse can leave an unlimited amount to a surviving spouse without having it subject to the federal estate tax, if the couple’s estate plan documents are not properly drafted, the first spouse to die will lose his or her exemption and the result is that the second spouse to die gets only his or her exemption. Careful estate planning may shield you.

Contact Us About Planning Your Estate

Whether you just want a will or a more comprehensive package, we can help. We have a law office in Salem, New Hampshire, which you can reach at 603-893-8008. We also have offices in Andover and Woburn, Massachusetts, and you can reach either at 978-853-0982. You can also get in touch with any of our offices by email.

Serving New Hampshire & Massachusetts
Since 1992