More than 40 years experience

Estate Planning & Trusts

Estate Planning & Trusts Attorney Baltimore County, Maryland

If you are over 18, in most states, you have a Will. If you didn’t write one for yourself, your state Maryland legislature wrote one for you – the statutes may not provide what you want.

For example, in Maryland as of this writing, if you are survived by your spouse and children, at least one of whom is a minor, the spouse receives one half of the net probate estate and the children divide the remaining amount equally. But if your spouse and children (if all children are adults) the spouse receives the first $15,000 +1/2 of the remaining net estate, and the children divide the remaining one half only. Not only may this not comport with your desires, but it also may not be an efficient manner to distribute your estate. It also may not be what you want or what is best for your family.

You can change what the state legislature wrote as appropriate for you, with a properly written will and other documents which effectuate what you think is right for you. What an experienced estate planning lawyer brings to the table is quizzing and advising you through many alternatives so you can make the choices you want. Forms off the internet are no substitute for the live interchange and interaction with a seasoned attorney who can offer follow up questions and fully explore, explain and discuss your choices and enact your decisions. It is the quizzing to help you ascertain your desires, to view alternatives, reinforced by years of experience is what the Michael brings to the table in addition to working through and customizing the legal documents for you.