Clarity Legal Group helps individuals and families develop estate plans designed to preserve wealth for future generations, address potential estate-tax concerns, and simplify the probate process. Depending on your circumstances, an estate plan may include:
- Living trusts
- Wills, from simple to more detailed plans
- Powers of attorney
- Living wills and advance directives
- Irrevocable trusts
- Family limited partnerships
Most people have a digital estate, even if they have not made plans for it. Digital assets may include intellectual property, online financial accounts, virtual currency, online businesses, personal records, photographs, and other information with financial or sentimental value. Your family may need authorized access to these assets after your death or incapacity. Including digital assets and instructions for their management in your estate plan can help address how they should be accessed, preserved, transferred, or deleted.
Legacy planning takes a broad approach to estate planning. In addition to addressing financial assets, it may include your life story, family history, personal values, and heirlooms. We help clients create plans that reflect what they want to pass on to future generations.
Depending on your goals, legacy planning may incorporate:
- Living trusts
- Simple or complex wills
- Powers of attorney
- Living wills and advance directives
- Irrevocable trusts
- Family limited partnerships
- Charitable gifting strategies
These plans may also address estate-tax concerns and the costs and procedures associated with probate. A well-structured estate plan can include provisions for remarriage after the death of a spouse and may provide protections for beneficiaries who later face divorce or other financial challenges.
Family beach houses, mountain homes, farms, and other properties often carry significant financial and emotional value. As families grow and become more geographically dispersed, managing these properties can become more complicated. A legacy real estate plan can address ownership, use, maintenance, expenses, and decision-making for property that a family hopes to retain for future generations.
Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
Family-owned businesses, farms, and ranches may require estate planning that addresses both family relationships and business operations. We help clients consider ownership transfers, management responsibilities, tax concerns, and succession planning as they prepare for the future of the business.
Estate Planning for the LGBTQIA+ Community
We assist members of the LGBTQIA+ community with estate planning matters that may include living trusts, wills, health care directives, powers of attorney, beneficiary designations, and guardianship considerations.
Incapacity planning addresses how your financial, medical, and personal affairs may be handled if you become unable to make decisions for yourself. We help clients prepare documents intended to provide direction and may help reduce the need for court-supervised guardianship or other proceedings.
IRA & Retirement Planning
IRAs and other retirement accounts can involve complex beneficiary, tax, and distribution considerations. We help clients coordinate retirement accounts with their broader estate plans and consider how account distributions may affect spouses, children, and other beneficiaries.
We help clients understand the legal requirements for applying for Medicaid and other government benefits. Planning may include reviewing available options for managing assets and addressing potential long-term-care costs while complying with applicable laws and program rules.
Asset Protection & Business Planning
Small business owners and individuals whose work or assets may expose them to legal claims may benefit from advance planning. We assist with business planning, succession planning, and strategies for organizing business and personal assets. Depending on the circumstances, planning tools may include family limited partnerships, limited liability companies, and buy-sell agreements.
Families with a loved one who has a disability or other special needs may need an estate plan that coordinates with public benefits and long-term care. We help families consider special needs trusts and related planning options intended to support a loved one’s financial, educational, medical, personal, and emotional needs without unnecessarily affecting eligibility for benefits.
Trust Administration & Probate
After a loved one dies, families may need assistance with probate, trust administration, asset collection, creditor matters, tax filings, and the distribution of property. We guide families through the applicable process and help address the legal and administrative responsibilities involved.
Take Control of Your Future
Whether you need a simple will or a comprehensive trust-based plan, Clarity Legal Group can help you evaluate your options and prepare documents that reflect your goals. Our office serves individuals and families in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, and surrounding areas.
Schedule a Consultation Today – Discuss your goals and estate planning needs with our team. You can reach us by phone at (919) 899-1730 or by using our contact page.
