Estate Planning
Wills and Trusts | Special Needs Trusts | Powers of Attorney
Healthcare Directives | Probate and Trust Administration | Incapacity Planning Conservatorships and Limited Conservatorships
Whether you need a Will or a complete estate planning package including a trust, Paula is an experienced attorney who focuses on getting to know her clients to draft documents tailored to best suit their family situation. A well-drafted estate plan ensures that the needs of all of your loved ones are addressed and that your wishes are followed. Paula is experienced in drafting special needs trusts to allow a disabled person to inherit property and still maintain their eligibility for public assistance benefits. She understands that preparing for the future and protecting loved ones can be a complex and overwhelming process. She is dedicated to working with her clients as their lives and laws change. Paula is ready to help you with all aspects of estate planning and estate administration.
Probate + Trust Administration
If you have recently lost a loved one, you may be feeling overwhelmed, especially if you are tasked with handling their Probate or Trust Administration. In addition to grieving, you may be unsure about what steps to take and what needs to be done. Paula is experienced in probate and trust administration and can help you navigate the process. She can help ease your burden and make sure that your loved one’s wishes are carried out according to the law.
Incapacity Planning
Sometimes additional planning is necessary to prepare for or address situations of incapacity.
An adult may appoint an attorney in fact to handle finances or medical decisions upon incapacity with a power of attorney. Unfortunately, there are times when adults become incapacitated without a trust or power of attorney in place appointing an attorney in fact or a trustee to take over. In these cases, a conservatorship may be necessary. A conservatorship is a court proceeding where a judge appoints a responsible person (called a conservator) to manage the care and finances of another adult who is unable to do so for themselves (called a conservatee). This legal arrangement can help ensure that the conservatee’s needs are met and that their assets are protected. For an adult with developmental disabilities who is unable to provide for his or her personal and/or financial needs, a Limited Conservatorship can be established, to appoint a conservator, Paula can guide her clients through the
planning process to avoid conservatorship or assist with the appointment of a conservator.
“Paula helped me navigate a process that seemed overwhelming and complicated. She distilled down legal requirements with ease into understandable layman terms and asked thoughtful questions that helped me shape my Trust just as I envisioned it. I am relieved to finally have it in place and would have completed it sooner had I known how seamless the process was going to be! ”
—HOLLY K.
Whether you need help with estate planning, navigating the legal process following a loved one’s death, advice during a divorce, or guidance in forming a business, I am ready to assist you.
