Estate Planning and Elder Law

Greater Danbury Elder Law and Estate Planning Lawyers

The wills and trusts attorneys at Collins, Hannafin provide full-service representation to individuals and families, businesses, trustees, and trust departments on all aspects of estate planning and elder law. To learn how our experience can help advance your wealth preservation, business succession, or probate avoidance goals, contact one of our lawyers in Danbury or Ridgefield.

While our estate planning practice focuses on managing tax exposure and preserving assets for transfer to the next generation, our attorneys can help any family or individual with wills and other instruments that address issues such as medical treatment at the end of life. We prepare durable financial powers of attorney and health care proxy directives for anyone concerned about the management of business or medical decisions during a period of incapacity.

The elder law attorneys at our firm also advise individuals and families about Title XIX planning for Medicaid benefits or residential care at a nursing home or assisted living facility. With Connecticut nursing home costs approaching $8,000 per month, we can help protect the assets of families who cannot afford to liquidate their savings or investments to support nursing home or long term care. For families concerned about the future welfare of a disabled son or daughter, we also prepare special needs trusts.

For families with sufficient assets to make federal estate tax liability a practical consideration, or who need to plan for the control and management of a family business, we can advise you about the relative benefits of various asset preservation trust instruments and estate planning strategies, including such options as the following:

• Formation of new business entities, such as family partnerships or LLCs
• Irrevocable life insurance trusts
• QTIP trusts and other marital deduction trusts
• Bypass trusts or credit shelter trusts
• Educational trusts, charitable remainder trusts, and other gift tax planning instruments

At Collins, Hannafin, we can also review and update estate plans for families whose circumstances have changed or whose trust instruments might be affected by changes in the Internal Revenue Code or other law. We can also make sure that any assets held by inter vivos trusts have been properly transferred and vested, which could otherwise result in estate administration problems later on.

Our experienced elder law and estate planning lawyers can suggest effective solutions for a wide range of testamentary, wealth preservation, and disability planning needs. For more information, contact an attorney at either of the Hannafin, Collins locations.

Our estate planning lawyers include Gregg E. Brauneisen, Gail H. Matthews, E. O'Malley Smith and John J. Tuozzolo.