Estate Planning

 All property owners have done some estate planning for the distribution of their estate to their heirs whether they are aware of it or not. Without a will or a trust the inheritance laws (laws of intestacy) of your state will determine how your property will pass to your heirs. If you have no heirs that fit the state's formula, the assets will be taken by the state.

Often times the state's formula and rules for moving assets to your heirs will not be what you would have chosen if you had done some planning. One of the best ways to get your estate over the intestate chasm is to build a bridge to your heirs, otherwise known as a trust. This provides for the estate to be taken safely over the financial risks which are posed by probate, creditors, con-artists, lawsuits, judgments, lawyers, and estate taxes. Let's evaluate some of these financial risks to better understand how