Maine Estate Planning and Administration

There are many misconceptions surrounding estate planning and administration. But one thing is certain – estate planning is an important part of making sure your hard-earned money and property are protected and treated in accordance with your wishes. As the old saying goes, ‘You can’t take it with you.’

If you are looking for an estate planning lawyer to help you make plans to protect your assets and provide for your loved ones, or if you are looking for guidance working through the probate court system to get assets distributed efficiently, Weinstein, Lovell & Ordway, P.A. can help you out.

Who We Are

Weinstein, Lovell & Ordway, P.A. is a recognized law firm with a commitment to providing a wide range of legal services for estate planning and administration in Maine. Our attorneys have extensive experience with helping Mainers plan for the future by putting in place wills, powers of attorney, trusts, business succession plans, and more.  

Maine Estate Planning and Administration Overview

Creating and implementing an estate plan can be one of the most valuable gifts you can give to your loved ones.  Our estate planning attorneys pride themselves on working with empathy and a focus on the specific needs of each client to create a tailored plan that will help implement your wishes orderly and efficiently, minimizing the hassle for your loved ones and securing your assets for the future. 

Many people understand the value of having a strong and clear will drafted, but smart estate planning can touch on many more issues.  You may wish to understand more about powers of attorney and advanced healthcare directives that direct how your healthcare decisions ought to be made during your life, or financial powers of attorney that allow a trusted person to manage your financial affairs if you are unable to do so.  Or, you may want to discuss Trust structures to protect your assets and provide support, healthcare, education and more to your family for years to come.  Our attorneys strive to find straightforward and cost-effective solutions that work for you, and ensure your plan is properly secured and implemented. 

Who Needs an Estate Planning Attorney?

You may not be eager to think about who inherits your property after you die, or what happens to your assets when you are no longer around to manage them. After all, it’s only human nature to avoid pondering uncomfortable topics.  But a well-crafted estate plan can help many Maine families gain peace of mind and avoid issues and conflict down the road.

Effective Estate Planning can help you protect and provide for your loved ones in the event of your death.  It can also provide them with comforting guidance and clarity in other unforeseen circumstances, like a major illness that prevents you from looking after things yourself.

An experienced estate planning attorney can help you create a detailed and comprehensive estate plan that helps ensure your wishes are carried out.

Services We Offer

When it comes to Maine estate planning and administration, you can come to us for legal advice and assistance to meet your specific needs

Wills

A properly executed will can direct how a variety of matters are handled and settled after your passing.  Beyond specifying the distributions of real and personal property to the individuals or organizations you wish to receive it, parents can also use wills to direct who should act as guardians of children and plan trusts for their benefit if the worst should happen, and more.

The qualified attorneys at Weinstein, Lovell & Ordway, P.A. can assist you in drafting a new will or revising or analyzing a pre-written one to make sure it is current to your wishes today. If you would like to revoke an existing will, we can guide you through that as well.

Probate / Intestacy

When a loved one passes away, dealing with court forms and filings is probably one of the last things on your mind.  But the probate process is an important part of implementing your loved one’s estate plan in their will.  Our attorneys have helped guide many families through this court process to ensure that will is properly implemented.  If you are an executor or personal representative of an estate, let us help you deal with court forms, dealing with creditors, ensuring proper transfer of real estate, and more – we’re here to help.

If a loved one has passed away without a will, also known as “intestate”, the distribution of their assets is typically controlled by Maine’s statutes. Our attorneys can help you interpret how these statutes apply to your loved ones and help ensure those assets pass efficiently to the right people.   Whether you are facing a probate process or struggling with intestacy, our lawyers can make the process easier for you and be an empathetic guide as you work through these difficult times.

Financial / Durable Powers of Attorney 

A power of attorney (POA) is a legal document that gives another individual the authority to oversee specific matters and make certain decisions on your behalf. This can be a professional representative or a trusted friend or family member. The terms of powers of attorney are highly specific, and it is important to understand the risks and advantages of using these instruments as part of your estate plan.   Our attorneys can guide you through the issues to consider and help you create a power of attorney that lets you go into the future with confidence that your financial affairs are in secure hands. 

Medical Powers of Attorney; Advanced Healthcare Directives / Living Wills 

A medical power of attorney can be used to allow one or more trusted individuals to make healthcare decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so.  An advanced healthcare directive, sometimes called a living will, can be used to provide instructions on the treatment that you wish to receive if you should ever be in a terminal condition or permanently unconscious. Formally recording your wishes in a legal document can help avoid heart-wrenching decisions for loved ones and ensure that you are treated in accordance with your wishes if the worst should come to pass.  

Our attorneys can help you consider these difficult issues and create a healthcare plan that ensures your wishes are treated with the dignity and respect you deserve. 

Trust Formation 

Trusts are a flexible and useful legal tool that can help implement and secure your estate plan in a variety of ways.  From securing property for future generations and ensuring that assets are used for specific purposes like education or healthcare, to optimizing the tax treatment of your estate, a Trust can be an invaluable part of your estate plan.  However, the rules and agreements for Trusts can be complex and technical, and it helps to have an experienced Trusts and Estates attorney to help you weigh the costs and benefits of a Trust and to set up your Trust to operate effectively for the future. 

If you want to learn more about the benefits and process of trust formation, get in touch with us now.  

Trust Administration 

There are many steps in administering a trust effectively. If you have been appointed as a trustee of a Trust, it can involve interpreting complex Trust Agreements, the requirements of the Maine Trust Code and your fiduciary duties as a trustee.  Our trusts and estates attorneys can help answer your questions and guide you as you work to your trustee duties effectively and within the law. 

Business Succession 

You can incorporate a business succession policy into your estate plan. This allows you to divide assets and transfer or share authority to maintain accountability and ensure that your business continues to operate successfully after your retirement, unavoidable absence, or death.

Our legal advisors can assist you in creating a succession plan that keeps your business running smoothly when you are faced with adversity.

By working with a Maine estate planning and administration lawyer at Weinstein, Lovell & Ordway, P.A., you can be confident that you are putting yourself in the best position to keep your loved ones financially secure and ensure your hard-earned assets go to the people you love. We represent individuals, couples, families, and businesses in helping them plan for an uncertain future with confidence. 

For legal advice on estate planning, specific to your situation, get in touch with us now!