Estate Planning Attorneys Smithtown
Prepare for the Future with an Experienced, Dedicated Attorney By Your Side
Estate Planning for All Stages
We meet you wherever you are in life.
- Are you a parent that wants to make sure your affairs are in order for your minor child(ren)?
- Are you near retirement and want to make sure everything is in place for your heir(s)?
- Are you a senior citizen who wants to ensure your assets are protected if you become ill?
If so, you’ve come to the right place. A basic estate plan consists of a Last Will & Testament, Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy, and Living Will, and sometimes a trust.
Schedule a free estate planning consult today.
Although it is not the easiest subject to breach, death is inevitable. Nobody wants to confront their own mortality,but planning for what happens after you die can help ease the burden on our family and friends. After our time comes, the people we care about are forced to make crucial decisions and face new responsibilities during some of their most emotional times. Proper planning can help to ease the burden on a loved one while grieving their loss.
At Fratello Law, we are a small firm with a big heart. Our experienced Smithtown estate planning attorneys serve clients in Long Island and throughout New York City and can help create a custom estate plan that works for you. Our goal is to ensure that your family and friends understand exactly what your wishes and that you decide who will handle your affairs if you are unable or after you pass.
Do You Need an Estate Plan in New York?
Estate planning is not just for the elderly. We never truly knowwhat the future holds, so it is crucial to have a plan in place for who can step in your shoes to make important legal, financial and health care decisions if you are unable and to set forth what you would like to happen with your assets, children, and other properties after you die.
At Fratello Law, we know how essential it is to have a clear plan in place so loved ones know exactly how to handle your affairs. Our New York estate planning team works vigorously to craft estate plans unique to your circumstances and goals that effectively and efficiently communicate the wishes of our clients. We outline estate plans for:
- Individuals
- Domestic partners
- Life partners
- Married couples
- Parents
- Parental guardians
- Guardians of people with special needs
- Small business owners
- Individuals or loved ones with Disabilities
When you partner with a Fratello Law estate planning lawyer, they will personally analyze your specific needs and goals. We pride ourselves on working with each client one-on-one so that we can construct an estate plan that you can trust to securely protect your wealth and assets for the people you care about.
Create an Estate Plan with a Trusted New York Estate Planning Lawyer
Any compete estate plan requires more than just a simple Will. An effective estate plan should also outline contingency plans regarding your:
- Health care treatment
- Home
- Guardianship of Minor Children
- Planning for loved ones with disabilities
- Legal and financial management in the event of incapacity
- Business
- Investments
- Life insurance
- Employee benefits (including your 401K)
- Other assets or property you may own
- Long term care and benefits
Proper advanced planning with an experienced attorney can help you offset the cost of long term care and allow you to maintain essential benefits. An attorney with extensive experience in estate planning can also design your estate plan in a way that will minimize any potential deductions that your loved ones could face, including Federal and State gift and estate taxes or recovery from governmental programs such as Medicaid.
One of Long Island’s Most Trusted
Regardless of your stage in life, our experienced Smithtown estate planning attorneys understand exactly what you are going through and will be right by your side through the entire estate planning process. We have more than 120 years of combined estate planning experience and will put that knowledge to work for you to ensure your wishes are upheld. This is part of what makes us one of the most trusted estate planning firms in our area.
Our attorneys go the extra mile for our estate planning clients because we understand that each client is unique and, mistakes or improper planning can be a disaster for those trying to put their affairs in order.
What Makes Fratello Law Different
Fratello Law is one of the select firms on Long Island with attorneys on staff who focus solely on estate planning. But more importantly, we treat our clients like people. We are respectful and take the time to understand your unique needs and concerns. We work efficiently and diligently to make sure you have a plan that works for you and your loved ones.
Ultimately, our goal is to build a lasting relationship with every client we work with.
At Fratello Law, our New York lawyers can outline estate plans that consist of the following:
- Last Will and Testament: Transfers your property to the people or organizations of your choosing and names your Personal Representative and Guardian if you have minor children.
- Health Care Proxy: Appoints a person of your choosing to make decisions regarding your health care treatment if you cannot provide informed consent.
- Living Will or Directive to Physicians: An advance directive that provides healthcare providers with your end of life wishes regarding your care.
- Durable Power of Attorney for Property: Designates a person of your choosing to act for you and handle your financial and/or legal matters if you are unable to do so.
- Living Trust: Provides a mechanism to manage your property during your lifetime and potentially maximize governmental benefits and avoid probate.
- Testamentary Trust: Provides a mechanism to manage assets upon your demise and hold in benefit for a loved one unable to manage their own affairs or under governmental assistance.
The arrangements set up in your estate plan will legally bind your wishes. Comprehensive estate plans give you the power to decide who will make important legal, financial and health care decisions in the event of you are unable to give those directions, allowing your requests to still be honored even while you are still alive.
Estate Planning Services We Offer
Our attorneys focus on creating a Last Will and Testament that carries out your wishes for your assets, belongings, the guardianship of your minor children, and more. Learn more.
Our practiced attorneys will guide you in selecting the right type of trust for you, appointing a trustee, and ensuring your assets are distributed to the correct beneficiaries. Learn more.
Our dedicated disability planning attorneys will guide you in creating the right power of attorney and healthcare proxy to ensure your finances and wellbeing are cared for in the event of an illness. They will also help you draft a living will that ensures all of your end-of-life wishes are upheld. Learn more.
Estate Tax Planning
Our estate planning attorneys at Fratello Law will guide you in transferring your hard-earned assets with as little taxation as legally possible by way of the many testate planning vehicles available. Both New York State and the federal government impose a tax on your right to transfer your property at your death if your gross estate exceeds a predetermined exclusion amount. This amount changes every year. We work with you and your accountant to determine the best panning to shelter your wealth.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Smithtown Estate Planning Attorney
Taking the time to plan out our final affairs while we are still alive can alleviate some of the pressure placed upon our surviving loved ones after we pass away. As lawyers who focus on estate planning, we understand how essential it is to have a clear and thorough plan documented for your estate. Poorly drafted and inadequate estate plannig documents typically become financial and emotional nightmares for surviving family members. At Fratello Law, we draft detailed estate documents carefully designed to ensure your wishes and instructions are upheld.
We are one of the select firms on Long Island with attorneys on staff who focus solely on estate planning and elder law. But more importantly, we treat our clients like family.
Since estate plans must be prepared while you are still alive and have the legal capacity to enter a contract, do not wait to get your estate plan started. The Fratello Law team has extensive experience in estate planning and will discuss your options during your no cost initial consultation. Call our office in Suffolk County at (631) 406-5580 or Nassau County at (516) 321-4010. You may also reach out to us online via our convenient contact form. We look forward to welcoming you to our client family.