Estate Planning Explained
Estate planning is the process of preparing legal documents that protect your assets, honor your wishes, and provide for your loved ones, both during your lifetime and after.
More than just paperwork, it’s a powerful way to spare your family from confusion and conflict, and to ensure the legacy you’ve worked hard for is passed on with care and clarity.
Services
Life is full of promise, but it can also be unpredictable. Having a thoughtful estate plan in place helps bring clarity to uncertain times and ensures your loved ones are protected, no matter what the future holds.
Based in Mobile, Alabama, Heircraft Planning is a law firm focused exclusively on estate and legacy planning. We are committed to helping individuals, families, and business owners plan with confidence and peace of mind.
Our services include drafting wills, trusts, living wills, and powers of attorney, along with other essential estate planning documents. We also assist with trust administration and probate, business planning and succession, special needs planning, asset protection, and trust and estate litigation. At every step, we help you protect your legacy, preserve your values, and secure a future you can feel good about.
Learn more about our services below.
Proper estate planning helps you preserve your story: how you lived and the legacy you leave.
Estate planning is essential for ensuring that your wishes are respected and your legacy is preserved after you pass away. It provides peace of mind knowing that your assets are distributed according to your desires, minimizing potential disputes among heirs. Our services guide you in drafting wills, setting up trusts, and planning for future healthcare needs, ensuring your instructions are clear and legally binding. Let us help you secure your family’s future and protect what matters most to you.
One of the most important decisions families make is choosing the right individual or institution to carry out the fiduciary duties. Mark can serve as trustee and work with your other advisors to carry out your wishes.
Choosing the right trustee is critical in trust administration, affecting how well your estate is managed after your death. We assist families in selecting the most suitable individual or institution to handle their trust, focusing on integrity, capability, and alignment with family values. Our comprehensive support covers everything from trustee selection to ongoing management, helping ensure that your trust operates smoothly and according to your exact wishes.
We represent professionals, small business owners, property owners, and other clients with the goal of protecting their assets against potential litigation, judgements, liens, and fraud.
Protecting your assets is crucial in today’s litigious society. Whether you are a professional, a small business owner, or a property owner, our asset protection services are designed to safeguard your wealth from potential litigation, judgments, liens, and fraud. We specialize in creating legal strategies that fortify your assets against unforeseen claims, ensuring that your financial future remains secure. Let us help you build a shield around your assets, giving you the confidence to focus on what you do best.
If you currently provide care for a child or loved one with special needs, a Special Needs Trust can be used for a variety of life-enhancing expenditures without compromising your loved one’s eligibility for government assistance.
Creating a Special Needs Trust is a vital step for those who care for a child or loved one with special needs. This type of trust allows you to enhance the quality of life for your loved one by providing for life-enhancing expenditures, all without jeopardizing their eligibility for government assistance programs. Whether it’s funding educational opportunities, medical care, or personal needs, a Special Needs Trust ensures that your loved one receives the support they need while maintaining crucial benefits. Let us guide you in establishing a trust that secures your loved one’s financial future and well-being.
We aim for smooth transitions in estate planning, but sometimes litigation is unavoidable. While we strive to resolve issues through mediation, our experience ensures robust defense of the estate and its beneficiaries if litigation is necessary.
Everything we do in creating an estate plan is to assist in a smooth transition. However, there are times when that’s just not possible, and litigation becomes necessary. Litigation for any reason is generally unpleasant, but it seems even worse when loved ones fight one another. We will do everything in our power to resolve any issues outside of litigation, such as through mediation or other means. If that fails, we will use our years of experience to defend the estate and the chosen beneficiaries.
We aim to help business owners sell their business when they want, for the money they need, to the person they choose.
Selling a business is a significant milestone. Our goal is to empower business owners like you to exit your business on your own terms—when you want, for the price you need, and to the buyer you choose. We specialize in evaluating your business, preparing it for sale, and negotiating the best possible deal, ensuring a smooth and profitable transition. With our expert guidance, you can achieve the successful sale you envision.
Will and Trust Packages
Simple, Flat Rate Pricing
At Heircraft Planning, we believe estate planning should bring peace of mind—not surprise costs. That’s why we offer predictable, all-inclusive pricing based on the type of plan that fits your needs. Most families choose either a Will-Based Plan or a Trust-Based Plan, and we’ll walk you through both options during your first meeting. Your plan is personal, and so is our process. We’ll guide you with care, answer every question, and adjust along the way—because when life changes, your estate plan should too.
Will Package
- Last Will and Testament
- Financial Power of Attorney
- Healthcare Power of Attorney
- Living Will
- Digital Assets Authorization
- Personal Property Memorandum
- HIPAA Authorization
- Remembrance & Services Memorandum
Trust Package
- Revocable Living Trust
- Pour-Over Will
- Financial Power of Attorney
- Healthcare Power of Attorney
- Living Will
- Digital Assets Authorization
- Personal Property Memorandum
- HIPAA Authorization
- Remembrance & Services Memorandum
- Certificate of Trust
- Funding Instructions