Estate Planning, Trust & Will Services
It’s never too early to start estate planning for your family, property, and future.
Put decisions about your property, health care, and the people you trust in writing before your family is left to make them without you.
PLANNING AHEAD
Make the decisions while they are yours to make.
Estate planning gives you the opportunity to document decisions about the people you trust, the property you have built, and the care you want if you cannot speak for yourself. Without clear documents, family members may be left to sort through important questions during an already difficult time.
A plan cannot anticipate every circumstance. It can give your family direction, name the people you want involved, and make your wishes clear while you are able to make those choices.
What an estate plan can include.
Estate planning documents work together. The documents that make sense for you depend on your family, the property you own, the people you trust, and the questions you want addressed.
Revocable living trust
A revocable living trust can hold property during your lifetime while you remain in control of it. When trust assets are properly titled, a successor trustee may be able to administer those assets under the trust after death or incapacity without a separate probate for those assets.
Will
A will can name the people who should receive property that is not otherwise transferred and can document a parent’s nomination of a guardian for minor children. A will may work with a trust as part of a broader estate plan.
Durable power of attorney for finances
A financial power of attorney can authorize a person you trust to handle financial or property matters if you are unable to act for yourself. The right person and the right authority deserve careful thought.
Health-care power of attorney and advance directive
Health-care planning can identify the person you want to speak with medical providers if you cannot and can document instructions about medical decisions. These documents address a different concern from the distribution of property after death.
Property titles and beneficiary designations
The way property is titled and the beneficiary designations on accounts or insurance policies can affect how assets pass. Those details should be considered alongside the estate-planning documents rather than treated as an afterthought.
Will, trust, or both?
A will and a revocable living trust can serve different roles in an estate plan. A will can state how certain property should pass after death and can name a guardian for minor children. A trust can hold and manage property under its written terms.
Whether probate is needed depends on how property is owned, whether valid beneficiary or survivorship designations apply, and whether property is held in a trust. The documents that make sense depend on your family, property, and goals.
Planning can change as life changes.
Estate planning is not limited to one age or one kind of household. These are some of the situations that often lead people to seek guidance.
Starting or growing a family
Parents often want to document who they would trust to care for minor children and who should manage property for them if needed.
Marriage, remarriage, or a blended family
A change in family structure can affect the people you want to provide for and the way you want property to pass.
Buying property or moving across the state line
A new home, a second property, or a move between Nevada and California can raise new planning questions about ownership and existing documents.
Updating documents made years ago
A will or trust may no longer reflect the people, property, or priorities that matter today. A review can help identify what should be discussed with an attorney.
Nevada and California planning can overlap.
Danielle Christenson began her legal career in Minden in 1991 and is licensed in Nevada and California. For families with property, relatives, or planning questions on both sides of the state line, an estate plan may involve more than one jurisdiction. Heritage Law can help identify the estate-planning questions that deserve attention.
THE CONSULTATION PROCESS
What happens after you request a consultation.
You do not need to gather every document or make every decision before you reach out. Heritage Law begins with the general situation, then gives you direction about what will be useful for your meeting.
Request a consultation
Use the website form to share a general, non-confidential description of the estate-planning questions you want to address.
Prepare for the meeting
After an appointment is scheduled, Heritage Law sends a detailed planning packet and questionnaire so you know what information and documents will be useful to bring.
Meet with Danielle
Danielle reviews your circumstances, answers your planning questions, and explains the documents and decisions that may be relevant to your situation.
Decide how to move forward
If you decide to proceed, Heritage Law explains the next steps for creating or updating your plan.
A clear process gives you time to make informed decisions about the people, property, and responsibilities that matter to you.
Common estate-planning questions.
Do I need a will, a trust, or both?
It depends on the property you own, the people you want to provide for, and the decisions you want your plan to address. A will and a trust have different roles. Heritage Law can explain how each may fit into your estate plan.
Can an estate plan address incapacity as well as what happens after death?
Yes. Financial powers of attorney and health-care planning documents can address who may make decisions if you cannot. Those documents are separate from a will or trust, but they are often considered as part of a complete plan.
How often should I review my estate plan?
It is wise to revisit your documents after a major life change, such as a marriage, divorce, birth, death, move, significant property change, or change in the people you have named. Even without a major event, many people choose to review their planning periodically.
Can Heritage Law review a plan created in another state?
An existing plan may still be valid after a move, but property, supporting documents, and the people named in the plan may need attention. Heritage Law can review the documents you have and explain the questions that should be addressed.
Schedule a consultation about your estate plan.
Bring your questions about your family, property, and future decisions. Heritage Law can help you understand the planning tools available and the issues that deserve attention before you make a decision.