Last Will & Testament
Probate Direction
Directs probate assets, names guardians, appoints an executor. The baseline — but on its own, it sends everything through probate.
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A Plan That Works When You Can't.
The most useful parts of an estate plan operate while you're very much alive. Coordinated documents, beneficiary alignment, and tax strategy for Maryland and beyond.
Why Estate Planning Is Really About Today
Most people think of estate planning as a death document. It isn't. The most useful parts of an estate plan operate while you're very much alive — during an illness, an incapacity, a business sale, a divorce, or a lawsuit.
A good plan answers questions your family would otherwise have to fight over, guess at, or pay an attorney to resolve. Who makes medical decisions if you can't? Who pays the mortgage if you're in the hospital? Who runs the business? Who raises the children?
Then — only then — does it answer what happens after. And the difference between a plan that works and one that doesn't isn't usually the documents themselves. It's whether anyone coordinated the beneficiary forms, the titling, and the tax implications with the rest of your financial life.
Who It's For
Estate Planning Matters For You If…
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You have minor children and no named guardian.
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You own a home, business, or investment accounts in your individual name.
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Your beneficiary forms haven't been reviewed in the last 3 years.
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You have an old will but no funded living trust.
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Your net worth is approaching Maryland or federal estate-tax thresholds.
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You have a blended family, a special-needs heir, or assets in multiple states.
The Coordinated Approach
The Documents Are Only Half the Job
An estate plan only works if the documents, the asset titling, the beneficiary forms, and the tax strategy all point the same direction. We coordinate all four.
Revocable Living Trust
Probate Avoidance
A trust you control during your lifetime that holds your assets and transfers them at death without probate. Faster, private, more flexible.
Living Will
Medical Instructions
Your written instructions about end-of-life medical care. Removes the burden of those decisions from your family.
Durable POA
Incapacity Protection
Names someone to manage your finances if you become incapacitated. Without one, your family may need a court-appointed conservator.
Healthcare POA
Medical Decisions
Names someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you cannot.
Beneficiary Designations
Most Missed Step
Retirement accounts, life insurance, and TOD accounts pass by beneficiary form — not by will. Coordinating these with your trust is the most commonly missed step.
Asset Titling
Funding the Trust
An unfunded trust is paperwork. We coordinate retitling so the structure actually controls the assets.
Tax Layering
Estate, Income, Gift
Maryland estate and inheritance tax, federal exemption sunset, and step-up basis planning — modeled together.
Successor Planning
Business & Real Estate
Who runs the business or manages the rentals if you can't? Operating agreements and trust language working together.
Our Process
How an Estate Engagement Works
01
Inventory
We catalog assets, accounts, beneficiaries, existing documents, and family structure. Most clients are surprised what's missing or out of date.
02
Strategy
We map the right combination of trusts, wills, POAs, and beneficiary changes for your goals and tax exposure.
03
Drafting
We coordinate with an estate attorney to draft the documents — or work with the one you already have.
04
Funding & Review
We retitle assets, update beneficiary forms, and review every three years (or sooner when life changes).
Free Guide
The Coordinated Wealth Blueprint
7 costly financial planning mistakes affluent families make — covering tax planning, estate planning, retirement, asset protection, trusts, business succession, and generational wealth transfer.
Serving the DMV & Nationwide
Maryland Estate Planning — and Beyond
Maryland is one of the few states with both an estate tax and an inheritance tax, with thresholds well below the federal exemption. Families in Bowie, Annapolis, Columbia, and the broader DMV often have estate-tax exposure they don't realize. We model both jurisdictions and design around them.
For out-of-state clients, we coordinate with local counsel in your state of residence — the rules vary widely, and a plan designed for the wrong jurisdiction is worse than no plan at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Plan That — Common Questions
Coordinated Disciplines
Related Planning Areas
The Legacy Wealth Brief
One high-impact wealth strategy, delivered every week.
Insights on tax planning, estate planning, retirement income, business ownership, and generational wealth.
Don't Leave These Questions Unanswered.
A 60-minute review with a planner who can read your documents, beneficiary forms, and tax situation in one sitting will tell you whether your plan still works.