We cannot see into the future, we don't know whether our lives will be long or short, or whether some of those best laid plans that we have made for ourselves and our families will ever come to pass. What we can do is take some simple steps to make sure that there is some order to our affairs if we cannot take care of things ourselves. It makes sense to do this, we spend a good part of our lives accumulating assets not only for our own use, but to provide for our loved ones when we are gone. By taking some simple steps while we are alive, we can not only make sure that our assets are managed in accordance with our wishes and that those assets go to the people that we want to have them, when we are gone.

Recognizing that with the inevitability of death there is also the inevitability of taxes, we can also take some steps to minimize the tax consequences of our death.

Our personal trust desk at McConnan Bion O'Connor & Peterson can help by advising you on some basic steps that you can take to protect your estate. We can advise you on the preparation of a will to make sure that your will is drawn in a manner that it reflects your wishes regarding your estate. In the course of preparing your will, we will discuss your tax position with you. In many cases there are steps you can take while you are alive to minimize the amount of taxes that will be due at the time of your death. Some of these strategies are relatively simple, while others can be more complex, depending on the size of your estate, the type of assets you hold, and your family relationships. Go to our wills section to find out more about wills and to see the answers to some commonly asked questions.