Experienced Estate Planning Attorneys

Estate Planning Lawyer Serving Orchard Park, Cheektowaga, Lancaster & West Seneca, NY

Estate planning enables you to determine how your assets will be distributed — and how medical and family decisions will be carried out — in the event of your death or if you become mentally incapacitated. Developing the right estate plan is the best way to build and protect your legacy.

At the estate planning law firm of Smolarek Law, we help clients across Buffalo, Orchard Park, Cheektowaga, Lancaster, and West Seneca, NY realize both their financial and their family goals by helping them create personalized estate plans. Whether your estate is large or small, we are the firm to contact for trusted counsel throughout every stage of your estate planning process.

A comprehensive estate plan should address your needs while you are living and include a smooth transition to your heirs. At Smolarek Law, we utilize a variety of planning tools to cover all of your long-term goals and address the special needs of your family, including:

• Last Will and Testament - This is a legal document that defines how you want your estate to be distributed after you are gone. It can name alternate guardians for your children who are under 18 years old.
• Powers of Attorney - This legal document allows someone to handle your financial affairs and act on your behalf if you cannot do. This person can be your husband, wife, child, friend or another responsible person.
• Probate and Estate Administration - This legal process includes administering the decedent’s estate and distributing assets according to their Last Will and Testament.
• Living Will and Health Care Proxy - This process allows you to choose one person who will make health care decisions for you if you lose the ability to make decisions yourself. The Living Will states your preferences for medical treatment.
• Elder Law - We offer legal advice for seniors including Estate Planning, Medicaid/Long Term Care Planning and Probate Law.
• Medicaid Planning - We offer legal advice when it comes to the complicated Medicaid laws. Let us help you protect your family and assets.

The Importance of Estate Planning

Estate planning is an important process. It allows you to ensure that your wishes are carried out when you pass away or become otherwise unable to make decisions for yourself. Without a comprehensive estate plan, your assets can wind up in legal limbo for months or even years. This can put unnecessary stress on your loved ones who are left to deal with your affairs. Estate planning can benefit you and your loved ones in a number of other ways, including:

• Protect Your Beneficiaries: The overarching purpose of estate planning is to protect your legacy for your beneficiaries. Whether your assets consist of real estate, stock portfolios, or physical items, your estate plan can make provisions for who gets these things when the time comes.
• Protect Young Children, Pets, or Other Dependants: You never know what might happen or when; if you have small children, dependent adults, or pets who depend on you, estate planning is absolutely essential to make provisions for them if the unthinkable happens. You can name guardians and make other arrangements so everyone is on the same page about who will care for your dependants.
• Tax Benefits: Because estate planning is so focused on protecting your loved ones, it’s important to consider potential tax benefits as you make your plans. Even just a small amount of estate planning can help reduce the tax burden on surviving loved ones, preserving your legacy as much as possible. Our experienced team is here to help you.
• Eliminate Drama: The time after a loved one passes away can be difficult in more ways than one. Disputes and disagreements over how an inheritance is divided can tear families apart. Comprehensive estate planning can stop these fights before they begin.

If you want your loved ones protected and your legacy preserved when you pass on, you will need an estate plan. The team at Smolarek Law has the knowledge and experience you need to assemble a plan that takes care of everything. Contact our office for comprehensive estate planning services! We serve clients in Lancaster, West Seneca, Cheektowaga, and the surrounding areas.

Benefits of Hiring an Estate Planning Attorney

When creating important documents during estate planning, including a will, trust, power of attorney, and other important decisions to ensure your wishes will be honored when you die, it is important to hire an estate planning attorney. Our team will help:

• Update documents when a significant life event occurs. - This may include when you get a new house, obtain a new property, children or grandchildren are born, or you have been divorced.
• Ensure your documents comply with current law practices. - Our team will help draft your documents in accordance with current New York State law. Some documents and the laws surrounding them vary from state to state and change from time to time.
• Create documents that say what you want them to say. - The estate planning language can be complex and confusing. Our attorneys can help draft your documents to say explain what you want them to say so there are no questions after you pass.
• Provide you with legal advice. - We can review your documents and assets and help make recommendations, help you change beneficiaries, and make sure steps are not overlooked.
• Provide a trusted resource for your family. - After you pass, our attorneys can help ensure a smooth transition of your estate and help administer your trust.

Contact Our Office Today to Schedule a Consultation

Secure your future, protect your loved ones, and achieve true peace of mind with a comprehensive estate plan designed just for you. Estate planning is about more than just dividing assets—it’s about ensuring your wishes are respected, avoiding the stress and expense of probate, and minimizing taxes that could impact your family. Don’t leave these critical matters up to chance or delay until it’s too late. Every moment counts when it comes to securing your legacy and protecting those who depend on you.

At Smolarek Law, we listen to your concerns, explain your options and counsel you toward the right solutions that best help you reach your goals. To talk with one of our experienced estate planning lawyers, call us at (716) 771-1601. Our team proudly serves Cheektowaga, West Seneca, Lancaster, Orchard Park, NY, and the surrounding areas. We look forward to speaking with you.