Protecting Your Family, Your Assets, and Your Wishes
Estate planning is about more than deciding who receives what. It’s about protecting the people you love, maintaining control if something happens to you, and making difficult moments easier for your family.
At Dublin Packard Elder and Estate Attorneys, we help individuals and families create estate plans that reflect real lives, real relationships, and real concerns—not one-size-fits-all documents.
When Estate Planning Matters
Estate planning is important if you:
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Want to control how your assets are managed during life and distributed after death
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Are concerned about incapacity due to illness, injury, or aging
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Have minor children or family members who rely on you
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Own a home, business, or significant assets
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Want to reduce the risk of family conflict or court involvement
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Are thinking ahead about long-term care and future needs
Many people delay estate planning because it feels uncomfortable or overwhelming. Unfortunately, waiting often means decisions are left to courts—or to family members during stressful times.
Common Mistakes We See
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Relying on online forms or generic documents
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Naming decision-makers without discussing expectations
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Failing to update plans after marriages, births, deaths, or divorces
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Assuming a will alone avoids probate or family disputes
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Overlooking how assets are actually titled or transferred
Small gaps in planning can create large problems later. Thoughtful planning helps prevent them.
How Estate Planning Fits With Other Services
Estate planning often works hand-in-hand with:
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Asset Protection, to safeguard wealth from unnecessary loss
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Long-Term Care and Medicaid Planning, to address aging and care costs
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Elder Law, as legal needs change over time
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Probate & Estate Administration, when plans are carried out
Many clients revisit and refine their plans as life evolves—and we provide continuity throughout that process.
How We Help
We work closely with clients to design estate plans that are clear, practical, and tailored to their goals. Depending on your needs, this may include:
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Wills and trusts customized to your family structure
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Powers of attorney for financial and legal decision-making
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Healthcare directives and advance medical planning
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Planning for incapacity and long-term care
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Coordinating asset ownership and beneficiary designations
Our process is collaborative and educational. We explain options in plain English and help you make informed decisions with confidence.
Let’s Start the Conversation
You don’t need to have everything figured out before reaching out.
A conversation is often the first step toward clarity and peace of mind.
If you’re ready to begin—or simply want to understand your options—we’re happy to talk.
As a first step, schedule a brief introductory phone call. In this 20-minute phone call, you will provide a brief overview of your needs, and we will let you know how we can help.
Wills
The standard foundation of any Estate Plan is a Last Will and Testament. While you may think you can scribble a Will out on a napkin if you ever get sick, that won’t cut it in probate court. Working with an attorney, you can use your Will to specify who gets what from your estate and assets, and when they get it. Furthermore, you can use your Will to establish potential guardians for your minor-aged children or for yourself in the distant future.
Trusts
A Trust is a fund that you create and continually make payments contributing to throughout your life. It is owned and managed by a third-party, and at the time of your death will be passed along to whoever you choose – a loved one, a friend, or even a charity. Trusts give you an opportunity to put money towards the future across your entire lifetime, rather than just distributing whatever is left in your bank account at the time of your death. They also are protected from probate, so they pass along immediately and without having expenses removed.
Guardians
One of the most important aspects of Estate Planning for young families is the ability to elect guardians who would raise your minor-aged children if anything were to happen to you. If you do not specify this in an Estate Plan, the state would make the choice for you – taking the decision of who raises your children out of your own hands. You can even elect multiple options if your first choice is unable, and pass along guiding values that you want your children to be raised on. If you are a parent, Estate Planning can help you sleep a little easier knowing your children are protected.
Special Needs Trust
If you have a special needs child who requires their own individual considerations, you may want to set up a Special Needs Trust. Many Estate Plans only protect children until they are eighteen years old, and do not have much to offer older children beyond merely passing along money. Special Needs Trusts can help you make provisions for your child’s own unique situation to make sure they will be protected long after you are gone. We have experience working with Special Needs Trusts and can help meet all your unique needs with them.
Revocable Trust
When you set up a Trust, you can choose to make it Revocable or Irrevocable. Although a Trust is not set up in your name and does not legally belong to you, a Revocable Trust can still be returned to you. This is important if you change your mind about one of the recipients or you end up needing access to the funds in an emergency situation. We have experience setting up both kinds of Trusts at Dublin Packard.
Irrevocable Trust
When you set up a Trust, you can choose to make it Revocable or Irrevocable. An Irrevocable Trust is permanent, meaning no one can access the funds contained within it outside of the beneficiary you selected. This helps to preserve trust between people and ensures that your intentions and desires are always met. We have experience setting up both kinds of Trusts at Dublin Packard.
