Our Las Vegas Estate Planning Lawyers Can Shape Your Family’s Future

The process of estate planning enables you to determine how your assets, medical care and family responsibilities will be managed after you die or if you become mentally incapacitated. Estate planning is no longer an option only for the wealthy; people from all walks of life are looking to make the most of their assets and their choices.

We offer free consultations to every client. Call us today at 702-706-1083 or toll-free at 800-557-6423 to schedule your appointment and receive our legal advice.

For more than a decade, family-owned and operated Cassady Law Offices, P.C., has helped clients in Southern Nevada realize their financial and familial goals. Whether your estate is big or small, we are the firm to call for complicated estate planning matters and trusted guidance at every stage of the estate planning process.

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What Is The Purpose Of Estate Planning?

Most people think of estate planning only in terms of passing on assets to their intended heirs and beneficiaries. This alone would be reason enough to create a plan. However, estate planning has numerous other benefits as well. First, careful planning will minimize the tax burdens of your estate, maximizing the amount of assets you can pass on.

Second, estate planning can greatly simplify or eliminate the need for probate, reducing obligations to your loved ones and helping them claim their inheritance more quickly. This is especially true with a revocable living trust. Creating such a trust can get your assets to beneficiaries much quicker than with a will, which has to go through probate court. While some assets, including 401(k) accounts, can be transferred to beneficiaries without using a will or a trust, many other assets might not be transferred to a person’s heirs without taking some additional steps to plan one’s estate.

Finally, estate planning typically includes provisions for incapacity (becoming unable to make or communicate important decisions for yourself). By planning now, you can both put your wishes in writing and appoint trusted individuals to act on your behalf.

Comprehensive Estate Planning Services

We use a broad range of tools to help our clients maintain control over their future health care and finances:

A customized estate plan is important for anyone who wants to minimize tax burdens, control the distribution of his or her assets and discourage family disputes.

Understanding Nevada Estate Planning Laws

While estate planning is governed by both federal and state laws, it’s important to comply with Nevada’s specific regulations. Some key Nevada laws that impact estate planning include the Uniform Probate Code, laws around community property, and legislation related to taxes and asset protection. Our experienced attorneys will ensure your estate plan adheres to all applicable Nevada estate planning laws, safeguarding your wishes and your family’s future.

Can You Include Your Digital Assets In An Estate Plan?

In today’s digital age, many people accumulate valuable digital assets like cryptocurrency, online accounts, digital media and more. Just like physical assets, these digital assets should be accounted for in your estate planning. Our experienced attorneys at this Clark County estate planning law firm can guide you through the process of incorporating and protecting your digital assets within your estate plan. This ensures they are properly managed and transferred according to your wishes.

What Are The Dangers Of Not Having An Estate Plan?

Failing to have an estate plan in place can lead to significant consequences and challenges for your loved ones after you pass away. Without a plan, your assets may be distributed according to Nevada’s intestacy laws rather than your intended beneficiaries. This can result in family conflicts, lengthy probate processes and portions of your estate being claimed by the state. Proper estate planning with our trusted guidance allows you to make informed decisions to protect your legacy and achieve the goal of estate planning according to your wishes.

How To Choose The Right Las Vegas Estate Planning Attorney

Most people put off estate planning for two reasons. First, they don’t know what they need and are worried about making a mistake or omission. Second, they assume that the process will take significant time and mental energy.

If this describes how you’re feeling, the good news is that these problems are very solvable with the right attorney. You’ll want to hire an attorney with considerable knowledge and experience. Our firm has been assisting clients like you for two decades, and one of our attorneys is a certified financial planner.

You’ll also want to hire a firm that offers convenient and helpful service. We treat clients like family, and we strive to make the estate planning process as easy as possible. After meeting with you for a free initial consultation, we can typically tell you what documents and legal instruments you’ll need, and we can do most of the preparation work for you. As mentioned above, we offer comprehensive estate planning services, so you don’t need to worry about hiring separate firms for different parts of your estate plan.

When Should You Update Your Estate Plan?

Once your estate plan has been created, you’ll want to review and update it periodically, especially after major life events that impact your family, assets and succession planning. This could include the birth of a child, the death of a family member, marriage, divorce or a significant change in assets that would need to be documented in your plan.

On a related note, including life insurance in your estate planning goals can help provide protection in a variety of future scenarios, regardless of your current age. Frequently reviewing and updating estate plan information, such as beneficiary designations, may also play a vital role in keeping your plans for the future intact.

We can help you update your existing estate planning documents, even if we didn’t create your original estate plan.

How Can Parents Protect Their Minor Children If The Unthinkable Happens?

Parents will want to set up guardianship in case they die – or can no longer fulfill their parental duties – before their minor children reach adulthood. To do so, they will file a guardianship petition to appoint a guardian. A guardian is often a trusted friend or relative, and it is important for parents to discuss the guardianship with them before their appointment. As a guardian, this person will take on the parents’ role until the minor children turn 18.

Careful estate planning also protects children in blended families from the financial fallout of parental death or divorce. Those who have been married in the past may have children who will be heirs. An estate plan can help to protect the interests of a child from a previous marriage while also accounting for the needs or goals of the current spouse. It can also make a divorce easier, as an estate plan or similar arrangement may determine how assets are divided. If an individual owns rental property, it could be a good idea to put them into an LLC for additional protection.

How Can People Protect Their Loved One’s Inheritance From Their Spouse?

Protecting a loved one’s inheritance may be necessary when their marriage is on the rocks or if their spouse is unsavory or bad with money. The easiest way to accomplish this is by creating a revocable trust and naming the loved one – but not their spouse – as a beneficiary. There should be language in the trust document that calls for the protection of your loved one’s assets in the event they get divorced; provisions can be made for further restrictions as well. Setting up a revocable trust can be done with the guidance of a lawyer.

How Can People Protect Their Estate From Creditors?

Protecting an estate’s assets from creditors may be necessary for people in high-risk jobs as well as those experiencing financial difficulty (though anyone can benefit from taking this step). Fortunately, there are different types of trusts that allow people to shield their assets. A Nevada estate planning lawyer can help people understand which type is the best option in their circumstances.

What Steps Can People Take To Protect Their Assets And Ensure They Are Passed On To Their Heirs?

The single most important thing people can do to ensure their assets pass on to their loved ones is to create an estate plan. Without an estate plan, the fate of their assets is in the hands of a Nevada probate court. Probate can take months, if not years, to complete, and without an estate plan to provide guidance, family feuds can arise. While a probate attorney can help make the process less disastrous, planning ahead is a smarter choice than leaving things to chance.

People with substantial estates should also devise strategies to avoid estate taxes. While estate taxes affect a very small number of estates – around one in 1,000 – they can reduce the value of these estates substantially. By consulting a Nevada estate planning lawyer, people can take steps to guarantee their loved ones’ inheritances will not be diminished.

Personal Service · Exceptional Results · Affordable Costs

You will always work directly with your attorney – not with a paralegal or legal assistant. We will listen to your concerns, explain your options and guide you toward the legal solutions that will best enable you to reach your goals.

Our prices are highly competitive and offer excellent value. Please click here to view our rates.

Additional Information On Estate Planning

For those looking to learn more about estate planning in Nevada, we recommend exploring the following informative articles from our blog:

These posts cover a range of important estate planning topics and considerations. After reviewing the pages, take a moment to read through any that pique your interest.

Contact Our Las Vegas Estate Planning Lawyers

For a free consultation with one of our experienced Las Vegas estate planning lawyers, contact us by email or call us at 800-557-6423 or 702-706-1083. We look forward to speaking with you about thoughtful estate planning. We also have an office in Henderson for your convenience.