Welcome to the WealthCounsel Consumers Website

 

Welcome! We invite you to explore the Consumer Section of our Web portal to assist you in making important decisions about your estate planning needs. Our Web portal can also guide you in selecting a knowledgeable attorney in your geographic area who is committed to the "WealthCounsel® client-centric approach" to the estate planning process. 

family   If you are like millions of other Americans, you work hard to provide for yourself and your loved ones. Perhaps you are just starting a family, or have been blessed with grandchildren and are nearing retirement. 

Perhaps you are widowed but planning to remarry in the future. And perhaps you are just now starting to give thought to what would happen to your loved ones after you are gone.

Irrespective of your present family dynamics, you look with pride on what you have achieved and the assets (modest or otherwise) that you have accumulated – stocks, bonds, real estate, life insurance, retirement plans, etc. You may even own a small business that you hope to pass on to a family member or friend some day.

But, like the majority of Americans, you may not have a plan in place that, upon your death:

  • protects your heirs or beneficiaries from potential creditors
  • protects you or your spouse in the event of incapacitation
  • ensures that asset distribution to your beneficiaries is fair
  • protects your children’s inherited assets from divorcing spouses

It is likely that you reached the WealthCounsel® website because as the steward of your family’s assets, you have begun researching the topic of estate planning. You have probably arrived at the conclusion that you want the power to decide:

  • who will receive your assets upon your death;
  • what they will receive;
  • when they will receive it; and
  • how they will receive it.

Although some consumers may think that a simple Will is sufficient for estate planning purposes, what many do not realize is that a Will must go through probate and is subject to the purview of the court system –a process that may take from 9 months to 2 years, and in some instances longer.

Furthermore, the probate process is normally required in each state in which the individual who died owned assets in his or her individual name, and when multiple states are involved, the probate process becomes even more complicated and expensive.

That is why it is important to work with a knowledgeable estate planning attorney who can determine which legal documents are required to protect your assets in accordance with your wishes.

Working with an estate planning attorney who is a member of WealthCounsel® will give you the peace of mind you deserve and the confidence to know that your assets will be distributed according to your wishes.