law py
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • About Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
    • About The American Academy
    • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
    • Speaker Connection
  • How We Help
    • Asset Protection & Business Planning
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Services
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Incapacity Planning
    • IRA & Retirement Planning
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Minor Children & Young Adult Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • Remarriage and Blended Families
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration & Probate
  • Elder Law
    • Coping With Alzheimer’s
    • Hospice Care
    • Veteran’s Benefits
  • Resources
    • DocuBank
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Elder Law Reports
    • Estate Planning Resources
      • Estate Planning Checkup
      • Estate Planning Definitions
      • Estate Planning Reports
      • Incapacity Planning Definitions
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Top 10 Estate and Legacy Planning Techniques
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Estate Planning FAQ’s
      • Frequently Asked Questions for Families Without an Estate Plan
      • Incapacity Planning FAQs
      • Legacy Wealth Planning FAQ’s
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning FAQ’s
      • Medicaid Planning FAQs
      • Probate FAQ’s
      • Trust Administration & Probate FAQ’s
      • Wills and Trusts FAQs
    • LGBTQ Resources
    • Special Needs Resources
    • Newsletters
    • Trust Administration & Probate Resources
      • Bereavement Resources
      • The Mourner’s Bill of Rights
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Trust
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Will
      • Trust Administration & Probate Definitions
  • Reviews
  • Contact Us
  • Attend a Free Webinar

Vitt Law Offices, PLC

Helping Other People Preserve Their Wealth

Attend A Free Webinar

Call Now
(434) 971-3025

header-logo
Home » The Estate Tax Is Not the Only Consideration in Estate Planning

The Estate Tax Is Not the Only Consideration in Estate Planning

September 30, 2011 by Vitt Law

Compliments of Our Law Firm,
By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, only the wealthiest one out of every 400 estates owed an estate tax in 2009. For those who may be subject to estate tax, a properly-drafted estate plan can help reduce or eliminate estate taxes. It can also help to minimize capital gains and income taxes. But estate planning is about more than reducing taxes – it’s about planning for life.

When you focus on life planning, you can use estate planning tools to your benefit today, and your heirs’ benefit in the future. Proper estate planning can help you:

  • Organize your assets to minimize the impact of disability
  • Avoid probate
  • Minimize income taxation
  • Protect your assets from creditors
  • Ensure your children’s futures
  • Instill your values in your descendants

Proper planning also comes with the emotional benefit of knowing that your affairs are in order and that there will be an orderly transition for you, your spouse or partner, and your loved ones at your death.

One of the biggest advantages to creating a formal estate plan is that it can be customized to virtually any circumstance or desire that you have. No matter how simple or complex your family dynamics are and no matter the size of your estate, you can arrange for the disbursement of your assets exactly according to your wishes.

Another consideration is how your family and loved ones will deal with something such as an incapacity. Legal estate planning tools such as a Health Care Durable Power of Attorney or a General Durable Power of Attorney can ensure that someone you trust can make decisions on your behalf if you become disabled. This life-planning tool also ensures legal and ethical order for your family and loved ones, something that is welcome during a health crisis.

One of the most common and flexible estate planning tools is the Revocable Trust. This tool can keep your affairs private after your death by avoiding the need for Probate. It can also address matters such as an incapacity and help you reinforce the values that you’ve instilled in your loved ones by using Trust income to encourage or discourage heirs’ behavior.

Clearly, a properly drafted estate plan is more of a life plan than a tax-savings tool, and there are many more planning options that we have not mentioned here. It’s important to consult with an estate planning attorney to discuss your particular circumstances and to draft a sound estate plan.

Primary Sidebar

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE ESTATE PLANNING WORKSHEET

There's a lot that goes into setting up a comprehensive estate plan, but with our FREE worksheet, you'll be one step closer to getting yourself and your family on the path to a secure and happy future.
Address
Texting Permission

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR E-NEWSLETTER

Address
Texting Permission

Where We Are

Vitt Law Offices, PLC
880-A Rio East Court
Charlottesville, VA 22901
Phone: (434) 971-3025

Map

OFFICE HOURS

Monday8:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday8:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Wednesday8:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday8:30 AM – 6:00 PM
FridayClosed

Footer

  • About The Academy
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
Logo

Vitt Law Offices, PLC

© 2023 American Academy of Esate Planning Attorneys, Inc.

© 2023 American Academy of Esate Planning Attorneys, Inc.