Estate Planning
To say that Angela Giampolo is passionate about estate planning is an understatement. Angela literally trademarked “Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way” and that’s because it’s the truth. You can do and have happen exactly what you want after you pass away, but you must be proactive and put your wishes in writing.
The LGBTQ+ friendly estate planning attorneys at Giampolo Law Group are experienced in assisting clients in preparing or revising Wills, trusts, and the other essential documents such as powers of attorney and hospital visitation forms. Generally, estate plans are necessary at any stage of life and act to protect assets and provide for loved ones, as well as establishing the rights and powers of others to act on your behalf.
In particular, LGBTQ+ estate planning is unique and comes with a special set of documents that protect our unions, relationships and families not just in the United States but abroad in countries that do not recognize marriage equality or worse, in countries where it’s illegal to live out and authentically as an LGBTQ+ person. Careful strategy can help create an estate plan that is in your best interest, but the plan must go further than a standard estate plan. Since the Obergefell ruling made marriage equality the law of the land, LGBTQ+ couples are entitled to equal dignity under the law. The marriage equality ruling drastically changed the legal landscape for LGBTQ+ couples, and Giampolo Law Group is experienced with what those changes mean in the estate planning context.
GLG can help you establish or re-organize and update your estate plan to address your concerns while accounting for the complexities in state and federal laws relating to how marriage equality changed property ownership, gifting, treatment of health insurance, and inheritance taxes. We’ll discuss how a properly structured Revocable Living Trust will avoid putting your loved ones through the expensive, lengthy, and emotionally draining court probate process. Moreover, you can prevent some, or all of your assets, from being subject to estate tax upon your death, allowing more of your estate to be enjoyed by your loved ones. A lot of us love our pets like children, so Giampolo Law Group specializes in creating Pet Care Trusts. A Pet Trust is identical to a trust set up for a human being in that it dictates exact directions on how to care for the pet and provides funding for said care. As the “Grantor,” you fund the trust to care for your pet for his or her expected lifetime. You select a “Caregiver” who will provide the day-to-day nurturing of your pet in your absence. And, if you wish, you can choose a “Trustee”, whose responsibilities are to manage the funds of the Pet Trust and make payments on a regular basis to your pet’s caregiver.
Lastly, estate planning allows you to provide for any charities or other worthwhile causes, while simultaneously receiving estate tax benefits. With proper estate planning, you can be certain that your loved ones will be protected after you’re gone. To speak with our New Jersey estate planning attorneys serving the gay and LGBTQ+ communities please click here to schedule your free consultation with an LGBTQ+ Estate Planning Attorney.
With offices in Pennsylvania (PA) & New Jersey (NJ) our LGBTQ attorneys serve all of both states including the towns of Abington, Allentown, Asbury Park, Bethlehem,
Bucks County, Carlisle, Cherry Hill, Collingswood, Easton, Erie, Haddon Township, Harrisburg, Jersey City, Lambertville, Media, New Hope, Newark, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, Scranton, State College, West Chester & Wilkes-Barre.