Estate Planning

San Francisco Estate Planning Lawyer

Estate planning is one of the most important things you can do to protect your family, preserve your wealth, and afford yourself with peace of mind. At the Hardin Law Offices, we provide comprehensive estate planning services to clients in Walnut Creek, San Francisco, and throughout the Bay Area. We handle all aspects of estate planning from simple wills and trusts to advanced estate planning and business succession planning. In addition, we help you make alterations to existing estate plans when circumstances change.

An effective estate plan will address all of your specific needs as well as those of your family and your business. Our estate planning practice includes:

Simple Estate Planning

Every estate plan must begin with a solid foundation. In most circumstances, this includes drafting and executing documents that address the most basic needs of an individual, couple, or family. Wills and living trusts are created to address wealth succession and care for minors or dependants. Durable powers of attorney and advanced health care directives designate financial and health care representatives in the event that you become incapacitated. In addition, pet trusts provide for your pets in the event that you become incapacitated or die.

Advanced Estate Planning

Many individuals and families require more advanced estate planning techniques to supplement the foundational documents. At Hardin Law Offices, we are capable of addressing your complex needs. We utilize asset preservation and tax-minimizing techniques, such as marital deduction credit shelter trusts, qualified personal residence trusts (QPRT), grantor-retained annuity trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, or defective grantor trusts. In addition, we help shelter assets through effective business formation and business succession planning. Finally, we address the specific estate planning needs for persons with special needs through the creation of special needs trusts.

Estate Tax Planning

Estates that exceed two million dollars are subject to costly estate inheritance taxes. Without proper estate planning, the estate may be subject to hundreds of thousands—even millions—of dollars in estate taxes. At the Hardin Law Offices, we understand that you have worked hard to earn your wealth throughout your lifetime. We maximize the benefits of the federal estate tax exemption and gift-tax exemption laws to reduce the amount of your estate that will be subject to taxes. As a result, you will be able to increase the amount of wealth that can be passed to loved ones.

Contact a Sophisticated Estate Planning Attorney

At the Hardin Law Offices, we evaluate your individual circumstances, listen to your concerns, clearly explain your options, and help you formulate an estate plan that effectively achieves all of your estate planning goals. Contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation with Attorney Shannon L. Hardin.