Customized Wills And Trusts
Where there’s a will, there’s a way … to make your wishes known and create your legacy.
The core of an estate plan is your last will and testament. This document is a guide map for your loved ones when you pass, detailing how your estate should be distributed and even how you want to be honored and remembered.
At Guelzow & Ellefsen Law Offices, we can help you shape your legacy and express your wishes clearly through a custom-written will. We also help clients update their wills after important life events, such as divorce and remarriage or the birth of new heirs.
Time to draft or update your will?
We provide comprehensive estate planning in Eau Claire and surrounding communities of western Wisconsin. Learn more in a free initial consultation.
Everyone Should Have A Will
We are firm believers that everyone should have a will. Not just empty nesters and retirees, but also parents with dependent children in the home and young single adults. You never know when your time will come – we have seen too many tragic cases of families dealing with an untimely death where there are no estate plans in place.
A will can address many facets of your legacy, such as:
- Declaring who inherits and which assets or which portion each heir will get
- Your wishes regarding funeral arrangements and your remains
- Guardianship of your minor children
- Care and custody of your pets
- Bequests to favorite charities
- Legacy planning for the family cabin or family business
Our estate planning lawyer, Ali Ellefsen, will take the time to listen to your goals and concerns, taking into account your assets, your family dynamics and details you may not have even considered. She will also help you plan for incapacity through powers of attorney and a living will.
Trusts And Advanced Strategies
Many people think they need a trust to avoid probate or protect assets. Those instruments can be useful for specific purposes, but the average family or individual does not need a big complex trust. All they need is a basic will with “pour-over” trust provisions.
That said, we can meet the needs of business owners, high earners and others who need more sophisticated estate planning solutions, including irrevocable trusts, LLCs, gifting strategies and estate tax planning.
It’s Never Too Early And Never Too Late
We strongly encourage people in their 20s, 30s and 40s to put their wishes in writing, but we have helped people even into their 90s draft their first will. Call our Eau Claire office today at 715-388-8130 or contact us online to arrange your free initial consultation.