Our Experience
Jorges & Bowers, LLP are your trusted advisors and advocates through some of the most important decisions in your life. Our attorneys recognize the importance of putting your estate plan in place to protect your loved ones. We have completed hundreds of wills and probated hundreds of estates and we have extensive knowledge of the many provisions in estate plans. We work with other legal professionals and have of counsel relationships in place that allow us to assist clients in almost any estate planning matter they may have.
Our attorneys have been serving the LGBTQ+ community for many years. We are informed about, sensitive and responsive to the needs and the issues concerning the LGBTQ+ community and have estate and life planning tools to ensure the protection of community members.
We represent clients in all aspects of estate planning, including:
Wills, Trusts & Estates
Planning for death and what happens after you or your loved ones die can be an uncomfortable or sad topic to contemplate, but the effort of planning and preparation now is often far less than the difficulty and pain of not having addressed these issues in advance. Our firm understands the complexity and challenges of estate planning and we approach it with a high level of humanity and care, offering our advice to ensure that your estate plan carries out your wishes for the people you leave behind and the charities you may choose to provide for, while being as easy to administer as possible. We understand that not every client has the same wants and needs, and so our advice is tailored to each client’s individual circumstances. Our estate planning advice encompasses a broad range of options. We can help you plan for the transfer of everything from your possessions such as art and furniture, to cash and brokerage accounts, retirement plans to real property and business interests.
Lifetime Trusts
Sometimes called a revocable living trust or inter-vivos trust, a lifetime trust is a highly effective and flexible legal framework through which your assets can be managed during your life and after your death. Whether a lifetime trust is right for you depends on many factors, and we work with our clients to understand their circumstances and their plans to determine if a lifetime trust will serve their needs.
Advance Directives
Wills and lifetime and testamentary trusts are powerful and effective tools in making sure your assets provide the greatest benefit to those you leave behind, but there are other important decisions to be made. During your life you may face circumstances that make it difficult for you to live and function independently and to manage your responsibilities. Advance directives allow you to mitigate some of the challenges that may arise in those circumstances. We work with our clients to make sure that they receive the medical care they want, and just as importantly, the medical care they do not want. We also make sure that arrangements are made for someone to manage your property and to care for your person. For those with children, we can help you determine who a court will appoint as a guardian for your children in the worst of circumstances.
Wills and Testamentary Trusts
Planning for death and what happens after you or your loved ones die can be an uncomfortable or sad topic to contemplate, but the effort of planning and preparation now is often far less than the difficulty and pain of not having addressed these issues in advance. Our firm understands the complexity and challenges of estate planning and we approach it with a high level of humanity and care, offering our advice to ensure that your estate plan carries out your wishes for the people you leave behind and the charities you may choose to provide for, while being as easy to administer as possible. We understand that not every client has the same wants and needs, and so our advice is tailored to each client’s individual circumstances. Our estate planning advice encompasses a broad range of options. We can help you plan for the transfer of everything from your possessions such as art and furniture, to cash and brokerage accounts, retirement plans to real property and business interests.
Probate, Estate Administration and Settlement
We represent executors, trustees, administrators and other estate representatives during the process of probating wills and administering the estates of persons that died without a will in place. We work to obtain appointments from the court and guide our clients on how to carry out the serious duties and obligations of being an executor, trustee, or other estate representative. We have the experience to guide you through the legal process as quickly and easily as possible.
Advance Directives
Our firm has the knowledge and special understanding of the estate planning needs of lesbians, gay men, transgender people and unmarried couples, including those with children. We work hard to ensure that LGBTQ and other individuals and families are given the same respect and dignity as any other individual or family and that their estate plans are built upon that foundation.
Let Us Help You with Your Estate Plan
Jorges & Bowers, LLP serve as counselors who can talk you through estate planning and leave you with a true understanding of the process. For more information or to schedule a consultation, please contact us online or call us at (212) 768-0088.