Estate planning is about more than deciding who inherits your property. It is about protecting your family, preparing for the unexpected, and ensuring that your wishes are honored during your lifetime and after your passing.
Whether you are just starting a family, planning for retirement, caring for aging parents, or updating documents created years ago, having a comprehensive estate plan provides clarity and peace of mind.
At Reed Wilson Case, our Connecticut estate planning attorneys help individuals, couples, parents, retirees, business owners, and families create personalized estate plans that reflect their goals and protect what matters most.
Estate planning is the process of creating legal documents that allow you to:
A well-designed estate plan gives you control over important decisions instead of leaving those decisions to Connecticut law or the Probate Court.
Every estate plan is different. Our attorneys develop plans based on your family, your assets, and your goals.
Our estate planning services include:
Our attorneys will explain each document in plain language so you understand exactly how your plan works.
A will is often the foundation of an estate plan.
Your will allows you to:
Without a valid will, Connecticut’s intestacy laws determine who inherits your assets, which may not reflect your wishes.
Many clients benefit from incorporating one or more trusts into their estate plan.
Depending on your goals, trusts may help:
Our attorneys will explain whether a trust makes sense for your specific situation rather than recommending the same solution for everyone.
A Durable Power of Attorney allows someone you trust to handle financial and legal matters if you become unable to do so.
Without this document, your loved ones may need to seek a conservatorship through the Connecticut Probate Court before they can assist with your finances.
Your Advance Healthcare Directive allows you to appoint someone you trust to make healthcare decisions if you are unable to communicate your wishes.
It can also include instructions regarding future medical care and end-of-life decisions.
Having this document in place helps ensure your wishes are respected while reducing uncertainty for your loved ones.
Estate planning is not just for retirees or individuals with significant wealth.
We regularly assist:
Life changes such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, purchasing a home, retirement, or the death of a loved one are all good times to review your estate plan.
Even if you already have estate planning documents, they should be reviewed periodically.
You should consider updating your plan after:
Many people discover their documents no longer reflect their wishes after years have passed.
Estate planning is not a one-size-fits-all process.
At Reed Wilson Case, we take time to understand your family, your concerns, and your long-term goals before recommending legal solutions.
Clients choose our firm because we provide:
Our goal is to create a plan that works for you today while remaining flexible for the future.
Yes. Estate planning is about much more than wealth. It allows you to choose who will make financial and medical decisions, who will inherit your assets, and who will care for your minor children if something happens to you.
A will directs how assets are distributed after death and typically goes through probate. A trust can manage assets during your lifetime and may help avoid probate, depending on how it is structured and funded.
Most people should review their estate plan every three to five years or whenever there is a significant life event such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, retirement, or the purchase of a home.
If you die without a valid will, Connecticut law determines who inherits your assets. The result may not reflect your personal wishes or your family’s unique circumstances.
Many estate plans include a Last Will and Testament, Durable Power of Attorney, Advance Healthcare Directive, and, when appropriate, one or more trusts.
Yes. We regularly review and update existing estate plans to ensure they continue to reflect our clients’ goals and comply with current Connecticut law.
Reed Wilson Case proudly helps individuals and families throughout Connecticut create comprehensive estate plans from our offices in Middletown, Guilford, and Wethersfield.
Whether you are creating your first estate plan or updating documents prepared years ago, our attorneys are here to guide you through the process with compassion, experience, and practical legal advice.
Creating an estate plan is one of the most important gifts you can give yourself and your loved ones.
Contact Reed Wilson Case today to schedule a consultation with one of our Connecticut estate planning attorneys and begin building a plan that protects your future.
This page is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every estate plan should be tailored to the individual’s circumstances. Please consult an attorney regarding your specific situation.
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An Ethical Will is the story of your life. All the personal knowledge, lessons, and tips you could pass on to your loved ones.
Unlike a traditional will, which focuses more on significant assets and money, the intention of an ethical will is to communicate your hopes, dreams, love, and learning for all future generations.
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A power of attorney allows a young adult to appoint someone they trust. To make important financial and legal decisions on their behalf if they become incapacitated or unable to make decisions for themselves. This can be especially important for young adults who are away at college or living independently for the first time. Without…
What Is Power of Attorney? Power of attorney, or POA, allows a person of your choosing to manage your financial or medical affairs if you are unable to do so. Without a POA in place, If you become incapacitated, the court will have to appoint a guardian or conservator. that course of action takes time…
When people begin exploring estate planning, one of the first questions they ask is, “Should I create a revocable trust or an irrevocable trust?” While both types of trusts can help protect your assets and simplify the transfer of property, they serve very different purposes. Understanding those differences is an important step toward choosing the…
What Are Digital Assets? The definition of a digital asset is “anything that exists in binary data which is self-contained, uniquely identifiable, and has a value or ability to use.” Digital assets include but are not exclusive to digital documents, audible content, and motion picture. As well as other relevant digital data that exist on…
The last part of the Connecticut Advance Healthcare Directive form includes a section that begins “I hereby make this anatomical gift…” The section includes several boxes to check to make a choice about which organs the person wants to donate and for what reasons…
Many people assume they only need an elder law attorney once they or a loved one enters a nursing home. In reality, elder law is about much more than long-term care. An elder law attorney helps older adults and their families prepare for the legal, financial, and healthcare challenges that often come with aging. Planning…
Can you gift $10,000 a year without a penalty? For tax purposes yes, with the Gift Tax Exclusion. With the holidays around the corner and the end of the year fast approaching, many of you may be thinking about making gifts for your children and grandchildren. If you want to avoid paying a gift tax…
What Is The Difference Between Primary v Contingent Beneficiaries? A primary beneficiary is a person or entity who is first in line to receive assets upon the death of the policyholder or account owner. A contingent beneficiary is a person or entity who is next in line to receive the assets if the primary beneficiary…
As part of our elder law and long-term care planning practice, we often recommend a reverse mortgage to our clients. And we are often met with resistance. One of the most common misconceptions about reserve mortgages is that if someone obtains this type of mortgage, all hope of ever having any equity to pass to…
A power of attorney automatically terminates after the death of the principal. This means that the agent no longer has any authority to act on behalf of the deceased person. Instead, the executor or personal representative of the deceased person’s estate will take over the management of their affairs. Power of Attorney and When Should…
What Is The Difference Between DNR and Living Will? A DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order is a medical directive that instructs healthcare providers not to perform CPR or other life-saving measures if a person’s heart stops or they stop breathing. A living will, on the other hand, is a legal document that outlines a person’s…
Does Your Will Determine Who Inherits Your Assets When You Die? Last month I discussed how clients are often unpleasantly surprised to learn that having a Last Will and Testament does not negate the need for probate. Many people also incorrectly believe that the Will is KING. They think that the terms of the Will…
Have you heard of the “READING OF THE WILL”? Of course, you have! because it has been a scene in many TV shows and movies. After someone dies, the lawyer hosts a meeting in his (usually “his” because, well, you know, but that’s a topic for another time…) office. Everyone who had a relationship with…
As a lawyer who is passionate about educating the public, I find that a lot of people are unaware of certain laws that affect them. At the same time, certain laws seem to stick in people’s minds, even decades after the law has changed. How many of you have heard that you have to reinvest…
What is a DNR? “DNR” stands for Do Not Resuscitate and means that if you stop breathing, you will not be resuscitated. Most, otherwise healthy people, would want to be resuscitated if they collapsed and stopped breathing, for example, if they had a heart attack. Those who are terminally ill and are suffering may choose…
In our estate planning, probate, and elder law practice here at Reed Wilson Case we often see family squabbles that erupt because of unmet expectations. Many of these expectations involve emotionally valuable personal property. And many of them erupt after the passing of a loved one. Related Post: What To Include In A Will…
Who Remembers Jack and Diane? Those two wild kids in love in John Cougar’s (before he admitted that his real last name was Mellencamp) 1980’s song, enjoying the carefree life of teenagers. Do you know what happened to Jack and Diane? Here’s the real ditty about Jack and Diane (lawyers always have to be the…
August is National Make-A-Will Month, a reminder that one of the most meaningful gifts you can leave your loved ones is a clear plan for the future. While no one enjoys thinking about death or incapacity, estate planning is ultimately about protecting the people you care about most. Having a legally valid Will helps ensure…