Estate Planning

Our firm concentrates approximately eighty five percent of its services in estate planning and estate administration areas. To provide excellent up-to-date legal services Rachelle J. Nicolle takes approximately twelve hours per year continuing legal education to keep fully up to date on all aspects of estate planning and estate administration issues. Estate planning is a complex, rapidly evolving area of the law and this is why it pays to hire an attorney who has taken the time both to learn and to keep up to date in this complex legal area. Our practice focuses on this area.

Estate planning involves frank discussions with the clients concerning what assets one owns, and the client's goals for those assets after death. Some clients with extremely large estates need complex trusts or multiple trusts. Some clients with very small estates and no land might be better served with a will instead of a living trust package. Rachelle J. Nicolle tailors her estate planning recommendations based on the totality of the facts and the client's desires.

For example clients who own real property in multiple states are ideal candidates for a living trust package.

Without a living trust, the client's family could be facing probates in each state in which the client owned real property.

Free Initial Estate Planning Consultation

Rachelle J. Nicolle Ltd. offers a free initial estate planning consultation. We offer our clients a chance to sit down with Rachelle J. Nicolle to discuss estate planning options at no charge. At this meeting they are free to ask her all their questions about estate planning and receive comprehensive advice concerning estate planning options.

Deeding Property to Living Trusts

Rachelle J. Nicolle tries to ensure that her clients get all their assets properly titled in their living trusts. A living trust will only operate to avoid probate to the extent that assets are properly titled in the name of the trust. Many clients come into our office with living trusts prepared by other law firms. However, when we interview many of these clients, we find that their assets are not titled in the trust. If the assets are not titled properly, these clients could be facing a probate if one or both dies before they can correct the problem. This is estate planning that will not serve its purpose.