When working with an estate planning attorney, it’s important to be prepared with the necessary information and documentation. This will help ensure that the estate plan they create is tailored to your specific needs and goals. 

At Mortellaro Law, our job is to educate you about what you don’t know — and then teach you those things to prepare you for the future. This begins with giving you an overview of what we will need when we sit down with you to begin creating your estate plan. 

Your Tampa estate planning attorney will ask you to bring or have available the following information. 

Income Information

Your Tampa estate planning attorney needs detailed income information to plan an effective strategy. How much do you earn? How much of that is dedicated to ongoing debts, assumed debts, and other future planning strategies? We can help you with a financial plan that directs income into estate planning to safeguard your future and that of your loved ones. 

 

Your income can include: 

  • Current salary or wages
  • Pensions
  • Social Security income
  • Military service retirement or disability income 
  • Rental income
  • Dividend income
  • Qualified retirement plan distributions

Asset Information

We will need detailed asset information to know how to plan for the future and protect these assets from creditors, unscrupulous actors, and lawsuits. You should also begin thinking about asset protection to help you qualify for Medicaid Long-Term Care if that becomes necessary in the future. 

 

Bring us the documentation about all: 

  • Bank accounts
  • CDs
  • Stocks
  • Annuities
  • Bonds
  • Real estate
  • Investments
  • Life Insurance 
  • Digital assets 

Debt and Tax Information

 

We will discuss your current tax bracket and how to protect assets and estate plan investments from excessive taxation. Many legal strategies are available to minimize your tax burden and protect your loved ones from getting hit with large tax bills after inheriting your assets. We would also encourage that you bring your CPA or tax professional into the conversation about your specific situation. 

 

Beneficiary Information

Who do you wish to inherit your estate? Your Tampa estate planning attorney will need up-to-date beneficiary information so we can plan how to best structure your estate assets for their benefit. For example, you may want to designate a portion of your assets to cover college expenses for a child or grandchild, plus add some stipulations for how it is to be used. 

 

There may also be complicated family situations that warrant special attention in your estate plan. Deaths, divorces, children from more than one spouse, special needs loved ones, and other circumstances can determine how your estate plan handles asset distributions. 

 

We will need beneficiary information for the following:

  • Your spouse
  • Your children
  • Any special needs loved ones
  • Any charities you wish to add as beneficiaries 
  • Beneficiary life situations (college students, service members, etc.) 

Your Goals for the Future

Of course, all the information above is for one goal: how you want to achieve your goals for the future. Estate planning is future planning. Your Tampa estate planning attorney from Mortellaro Law will want to discuss at length the following types of goals. 

What You Want to Accomplish Before Your Death

You may have much life left to live and goals you have yet to reach. Our estate planning attorneys can help you devise a plan and specific steps to get you there. 

How You Want to Protect Your Health

No one knows what the future holds and your health can take a sudden turn. How will you pay for long-term medical care at home or a medical facility? We can help you be prepared for unexpected health crises. 

What You Want to Happen After Your Death 

Estate planning includes what you want to happen with your assets long after you are gone. The key is planning for the future now. A Tampa estate planning attorney from Mortellaro Law can help you not only dream about the future but take steps to secure that future for your loved ones. 

Contact a Tampa Estate Planning Attorney Today

Mortellaro Law is ready to assist you in every aspect of your estate planning in Tampa, Florida. Our skilled estate planning attorneys can answer your questions, provide seasoned guidance and helpful recommendations, and execute the legal documents you need to build a secure future for yourself and your family. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.