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Estate Planning E-Book
Discover the essential steps to creating a comprehensive estate plan that protects and provides for your loved ones, and sets up a safety net for your financial decisions and medical care. This comprehensive guide covers everything from what is in a Will and the other documents needed and offers practical tips and strategies for ensuring a smooth and stress-free estate planning process. Whether you’re just starting to think about estate planning or have been putting it off for too long, this E-Book has everything you need to make an informed decision.
Protect Your Assets and Loved Ones with Estate Planning
Estate Planning is often associated with scary and depressing thoughts, but it shouldn’t be that way. Just like we plan for various milestones in our life, planning for the distribution of our assets after we pass away is equally important. The truth is, we probably already have a general idea of what we’d like to happen to our belongings and who we’d like them to go to. Estate planning simply formalizes these plans in writing, ensuring that our wishes are carried out after we’re gone.
What is Estate Planning?
Simply put, estate planning is the process of planning ahead for your death or disability. It includes instructions for who should receive your property after you pass away, what they will receive, as well as when, and under what restrictions, they will receive it. Good estate planning also takes into account the possibility that you will become seriously ill or injured and will need someone else to manage your financial affairs or medical treatment. Regardless of the circumstances, the goal of estate planning is to make it as easy as possible on your family to deal with your death, injury, or illness.
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The Importance of Having an Estate Plan
If you were to pass away suddenly, how would your family survive financially?
It’s not something that we like to think about, but a poorly structured estate plan, or worse, no estate plan at all, could leave your assets, and family, tied up in legal red tape in the event of your death.
What Does Estate Planning Include?
The first document in every estate plan is your Will. This is the document that the Probate Court will use to determine how your property is distributed. It can also be used to nominate a guardian for your minor children, if you have any. An estate plan should also include a financial Power of Attorney and Advanced Directives for Healthcare. These are documents that appoint someone to make financial and medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable. Your estate plan may also include a living trust, which we will discuss and decide on once all the intricacies of your estate, family, etc. are discussed..
How Much Does Estate Planning Cost?
The cost of estate planning varies, based on on the complexity of your estate and what you would like to accomplish. We charge a flat fee for our estate planning services. We believe this is the best for you because it allows you to budget and plan for the cost. It is also the best for us, because it allows us to spend time with you, develop a plan and answer your questions, without you wondering how much each question or phone call will cost. Hourly billing can lead to unexpected costs that are more than expected. With a flat rate, the risk of going over the original estimate is on the us — not you.
We typically charge $800 for an individual simple will package and $2,500 for an individual living trust package.
If your situation needs more complex planning for estate tax avoidance or medicaid protections, those are cost more and can be discussed in our meetings.
Thomas B. Kane
“For most people, their homes are their largest investment, and planning for their family is their largest worry. At Kane, Hartley, and Kane, we help our clients navigate the complexities of life, one milestone at a time.”
Tom Kane is the managing partner of the law firm Kane, Hartley, and Kane located in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Since joining the firm in 1996, he has built his practice around helping clients navigate the complexities of Estate Planning and Probate Administration.
When it comes to his practice, Tom’s approach is different. He recognizes the individuality of each client’s needs and avoids promoting unnecessary services, taking the time to ensure the process is easily understood and accessible. He also believes that as your life progresses, your legal requirements may change too, and is committed to supporting those evolving needs.
Tom is a graduate of Western New England University School of Law in Springfield, Massachusetts, and is currently pursuing his Master of Law in Estate Planning. Prior to joining Kane, Hartley, and Kane, Tom worked as a Defense Attorney for children involved with the Department of Children and Families and was one of the initial group of Lawyers in Connecticut to be certified by the State as a Child Welfare Law Specialist.
Tom lives in Colchester, Connecticut with his wife and has two semi-flown daughters who left him with two dogs and horse. When not tending to the animals, Tom and his wife like to camp and mountain bike in Vermont and Colorado.
“For most people, their homes are their largest investment, and planning for their family is their largest worry. At Kane, Hartley, and Kane, we help our clients navigate the complexities of life, one milestone at a time.”
Tom Kane is the managing partner of the law firm Kane, Hartley, and Kane located in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Since joining the firm in 1996, he has built his practice around helping clients navigate the complexities of Estate Planning and Probate Administration.
When it comes to his practice, Tom’s approach is different. He recognizes the individuality of each client’s needs and avoids promoting unnecessary services, taking the time to ensure the process is easily understood and accessible. He also believes that as your life progresses, your legal requirements may change too, and is committed to supporting those evolving needs.
Tom is a graduate of Western New England University School of Law in Springfield, Massachusetts, and is currently pursuing his Master of Law in Estate Planning. Prior to joining Kane, Hartley, and Kane, Tom worked as a Defense Attorney for children involved with the Department of Children and Families and was one of the initial group of Lawyers in Connecticut to be certified by the State as a Child Welfare Law Specialist.
Tom lives in Colchester, Connecticut with his wife and has two semi-flown daughters who left him with two dogs and horse. When not tending to the animals, Tom and his wife like to camp and mountain bike in Vermont and Colorado.
It’s never too soon to start estate planning
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Trust?
Maybe. Maybe not. Trusts are a great tool, but they are expensive to create, and time consuming to manage. If you need one, they are invaluable, but if not, they are a waste of time and money. During our consult, we can discuss the need for a trust, the benefit of it and the cost. And only after you understand why you should have one, and the costs of creating it, will we do one.
Why is estate planning important?
Estate planning is important because it helps you ensure that your wishes are carried out and that your loved ones are protected. It also helps minimize taxes, court costs, and other expenses.
Who should do estate planning?
Estate planning is important for anyone and everyone. Anyone who wants to control the distribution of their assets after they die. This includes individuals of all ages, regardless of the size of their estate.
As Estate Planning also can designate Guardians for Minor children, anyone with minor children should do estate planning to ensure the right people would be selected to raise the children if something happened to them.
What are the key elements of estate planning?
The key elements of estate planning include creating a will or trust, selecting beneficiaries and guardians, determining how assets will be managed and distributed, and minimizing taxes, court costs, and other expenses.
We are very happy with the expertise and experience of Tom B. Kane. He is very knowledgeable, practical, patient and takes the time to hear you. We reached out to him for estate planning. He was readily available for consults and replied to emails very promptly. His staff is very professional, prompt and polite. The entire process was smooth, clear and stress free.
I would recommend him to family and friends.
We recently had some estate planning documents prepared by Tom. He and his staff are just outstanding to work with. Tom explained every step of the process and answered all of our questions thoroughly. He made a complex plan clear and understandable. If you are looking for a legal team that is knowledgeable, caring, and an absolute pleasure to work with, look no further than KHK!
The team at KHK did 3 real estate closings and 2 estate plans for us over the past year and all were handled exceptionally. They had experience with every quirk that arose and handled it with ease and professionalism. A great team that makes you feel like members of the family!
Start Planning For A Secure Future With This Informative Estate Planning E-Book
Fill Out The Form To Receive Your Free E-Book
Estate Planning E-Book
Discover the essential steps to creating a comprehensive estate plan that protects and provides for your loved ones, and sets up a safety net for your financial decisions and medical care. This comprehensive guide covers everything from what is in a Will and the other documents needed and offers practical tips and strategies for ensuring a smooth and stress-free estate planning process. Whether you’re just starting to think about estate planning or have been putting it off for too long, this E-Book has everything you need to make an informed decision.