Estate Planning

Bakutis, McCully & Sawyer, P.C. - Fort Worth Estate Planning Attorneys

At the Fort Worth estate planning law firm of Bakutis, McCully & Sawyer, P.C., our clients rely on our experience and comprehensive understanding of wills and trusts to achieve the objectives of wealth preservation, tax minimization, and succession planning. For additional information about how our estate planning techniques and instruments can advance your goals, contact us in Fort Worth.

For basic estate planning needs, where neither spouse anticipates a taxable estate, a basic estate planning package will be sufficient to meet most situations. We will draft your will or trust so that your estate passes to your heirs in a manner consistent with your wishes. We will also prepare incapacity planning documents, being the Statutory Durable Power of Attorney, Medical Power of Attorney, and Appointment of Guardian in the Event of Future Incapacity or Need, so that trusted persons are designated to make important financial and health care decisions on your behalf in the event of your incapacity. In addition, if you desire, we may prepare a Directive to Physicians and Family or Surrogates—also known as a living will—to ensure that end-of-life medical treatment decisions are carried out according to your specific wishes.

For families whose estates are large enough to require careful tax or business succession planning, estates exceeding the current Applicable Exclusion Amount of $2 million, we can advise you about bypass trusts for maximizing the value of your exemption under both the Federal Estate Tax and the Generation Skipping Transfer Tax. We can also advise you about family limited partnerships or limited liability companies, gifts, charitable trusts, and other techniques for minimizing your estate's exposure to taxation. It will be essential to review your assets carefully to develop an estate plan that addresses your particular assets, and to ensure that there is no confusion as to the community or separate character of a given asset.

We also offer advice regarding the differences between dependent and independent probate administration under Texas law. If creditors are not an issue we help you take advantage of the streamlined probate process available under independent administration.

In all cases, we tailor our estate planning services to your family's specific needs and objectives. Whether you need to plan for the special needs of a disabled adult child or revise your Directive to Physicians and Family or Surrogates, we can assist you. For additional information, contact Bakutis, McCully & Sawyer, P.C..