Bettendorf Estate Planning Attorneys
Helping Iowans Plan for Their Futures
It can be easy to become overwhelmed as you begin to plan for your and
your loved ones’ futures. What tools do you need to effectively
protect yourself and your children? Does estate planning allow you to
avoid taxes? Is there any means of simplifying the process or avoiding
a situation where inheritances get tied up in probate?
Things get even trickier as you get older and realize you may need some
form of long-term care. You have likely spent many years building up a
lucrative nest egg, some of which you hoped to pass on to your children
and other loved ones. Because nursing homes, assisted living facilities,
and other forms of elder care are so incredibly expensive, you might fear
that your medical needs could undo a lifetime of saving and planning.
Our Bettendorf estate planning lawyers at Pearson Bollman Law can help
you address these types of scenarios and provide robust protection to
you and your family. Our estate planning services have successfully provided comfort and security
to thousands of Iowa clients, and we are ready to leverage our services
to give you the peace of mind that you deserve. We will assess every facet
of your situation before advising what legal tools are available to you
and which may be most effective in accomplishing your goals.
Get started on your estate planning by calling
(515) 298-8850 or
contacting us online.
Our Legal Service Areas
In addition to estate planning and elder law, we offer a full suite of
litigation services. We offer all of our legal services at fixed, affordable
fees. We will always help you understand exactly what you are getting
and will never surprise you with hidden costs. Our team is also prepared
to serve you at any of our 5 office locations throughout the state of Iowa.
Our Bettendorf estate planning attorneys can assist you in the following areas:
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Estate Planning. Everyone needs a plan for what will happen after they pass away. You
will need to decide who will care for your children, who will inherit
your assets, and who will manage the distribution process. Even if you
are young and healthy, an estate plan can help prepare for situations
where you are seriously injured. If you are unable to communicate, you
will need to have representatives able to manage your medical and financial
needs on your behalf. Our team can help you build an effective estate
plan that will protect you, your property, and your loved ones. We can
assist with many types of documents, including wills, trusts, advanced
healthcare directives, powers of attorney, guardianships, and conservatorships.
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Trust Administration. Many choose to manage their own trusts, which can allow the grantor increased
flexibility, control, and tax efficiency over assets named in a will that
will eventually be subject to probate. Once you are unable to communicate
or pass away, you will need a successor trustee to manage the trust under
terms that you define. Successor trustees will be responsible for notifying
beneficiaries and distributing their assets, conducting routine maintenance
and administration, making investments, and handling any other day-to-day
affairs of the trust. Our lawyers can serve as your successor trustee
and ably manage its responsibilities.
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Probate. Probate can be an especially stressful process in a moment where you
are already mourning the loss of a loved one. If you are named executor
or administrator to the loved one’s estate, you will be obligated
to shoulder tremendous responsibilities in managing the probate process.
This will include filing the appropriate paperwork with the probate court,
notifying beneficiaries and creditors, inventorying and appraising assets,
liquidating assets and settling debts, and appropriately distributing
assets. It can be a lot to take on, and if you have never served as a
personal representative before, the process can be overwhelming. Our team
can ease your burden and can assist you in your capacity as personal representative
through each step of probate.
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Estate Disputes. Conflicts involving a loved one’s estate can be especially delicate
tense, as they generally involve a family member’s assets, health
and safety, or both. We can help you navigate and, if necessary, litigate
a variety of common estate disputes, including those involving will authenticity,
trust management, breaches of fiduciary duty, elder abuse, and conservatorships
and guardianships.
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Medicaid Planning and Elder Support. As you begin to anticipate the need for long-term care, you may be surprised
at how expensive nursing homes and assisted living facilities have become.
Though you may be able to draw upon your savings and retirement to cover
these expenses, doing so potentially deprives your children and other
loved ones of planned inheritances. We can help you avoid these tough
choices through proactive elder care planning. This can include leveraging
and protecting Medicaid benefits that cover many types of long-term care costs.