It is not merely for the wealthy. It encompasses financial, retirement, business succession, charitable, medical, disability, legacy, and gift planning. Unfortunately, many people fail to perform estate planning, with the result that their loved ones suffer emotional and financial hardship that could have been avoided. Others perform estate planning, but fail to recognize that without proper care and maintenance, their plan will not accomplish the objectives they desire. At Morgan & Getzan, we are committed to helping our clients create estate plans that work.
Our definition of an estate plan that “works” is one in which the client maintains control of his assets during his lifetime, provides for himself and his loved ones during any period of mental incapacity, passes his wealth in a loving and purposeful manner to whom he wants, when he wants, and the way that he wants, all while reducing the overall cost of professional fees and taxes. We are able to help our clients accomplish these objectives through a comprehensive process that results in an organized, up-to-date, effective estate plan.

Elder Law is a very broad field of law that focuses, primarily, on the legal needs of the elderly. It includes estate planning, but also includes the obtaining of public resource benefits to pay for long-term care needs; planning for the preservation of assets to avoid impoverishment while in the nursing home or before becoming eligible for public resource benefits; planning for mental and/or physical disability; and patient advocacy. Our extensive experience working with the elderly gives us an understanding of the real-life problems and issues that tend to occur as people age. Helping our clients and their caregivers determine the appropriate level of care, coordinating private and public resources to fund such care, and working to ensure the client’s right to quality care are all part of our practice.

Probate administration of a deceased person’s estate is typically required when the person dies with a will-based estate plan or dies without a plan at all. It is a court-supervised process, the goal of which is to ensure that the deceased person’s creditors are protected and the remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs in the manner required by law.
Our firm has extensive experience handling both “simple” and “complex” probate administrations. We work closely with the Personal Representative (Executor) of the deceased person’s estate to ensure that the administration is handled as efficiently as possible. In addition, we are trained and experienced in facilitating the resolution of family conflicts that sometimes arise during probate administration. We do our best to ensure that the deceased person’s wishes are followed, and that the family and/or beneficiaries are relieved of the burden of worrying about administrative issues.