Estate Planning
in New York State's North Country
Protect Your Legacy. Provide for the People You Love
Thoughtful planning to safeguard assets, reduce taxes and honor your wishes.
Estate Planning ensures your wealth is preserved, protected and transferred according to your wishes.
I help you create strategies for wills, trusts, beneficiary designations and asset protection that safeguard your family’s future.
You benefit from the peace of mind that comes with knowing your legacy will be carried out smoothly and tax-efficiently.
What sets me apart is a holistic approach that integrates estate considerations into your overall financial plan, keeping every detail aligned with your long-term goals.
Protecting Your Legacy and Your Loved Ones
Estate planning ensures your wishes are honored and your loved ones are provided for. Clients put their estate plans into action through:
-
Creating Wills and Trusts – Defining how assets are distributed
-
Minimizing Estate Taxes – Planning to preserve wealth for heirs
-
Planning for Incapacity – Powers of attorney, healthcare directives and guardianships
-
Coordinating Beneficiaries – Ensuring retirement accounts and insurance policies align with your plan
-
Supporting Charitable Goals – Integrating philanthropy into your legacy
-
Updating Plans Regularly – Adapting to life changes, laws and financial circumstances
Estate Planning Services in Upstate New York
You can access estate planning guidance from anywhere, but having a trusted professional nearby makes a difference. Someone to call when life throws unexpected changes your way. Someone who knows the community, the economy and the local opportunities.
We proudly serve clients throughout Upstate New York, including Henderson, Watertown, and surrounding areas. Whether you’re a military family at Fort Drum, a local business owner or a long-time resident, our local insight ensures your plan reflects both your goals and your community.
We also offer remote services for clients across the country.
FAQs about Estate Planning
Q1: What is the purpose of estate planning?
A: Estate planning ensures your assets are distributed according to your wishes, reduces taxes and provides for loved ones in case of incapacity or death.
Q2: Do I need a lot of assets to benefit from estate planning?
A: No. Estate planning is important for anyone with assets, dependents or charitable goals, regardless of net worth.
Q3: What documents are typically included in an estate plan?
A: Common documents include wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives and beneficiary designations.
Q4: How often should an estate plan be updated?
A: We review your estate plan regularly or after major life events, such as marriage, the birth of a child or changes in laws or finances.
How We Can Work Together
We offer two flexible service options—you can choose either, or both depending on your needs:
We help you create a comprehensive, personalized financial plan tailored to your life today and your long-term goals.
Your plan may include:
- Retirement and cash flow projections
- Investment and tax strategy
- Insurance and estate planning review
- Education funding
- Health care and long-term care considerations
We charge a one-time flat fee for this service, which varies depending on the complexity of your situation. We recommend reviewing and updating your plan periodically, especially after major life changes.
If you need ongoing professional help managing your investments, we offer portfolio management and ongoing financial planning services:
- If we've created your financial plan, it guides our investment strategy.
- If you already have a plan or none at all, we begin with a strategy meeting to understand your risk tolerance and goals.
Our portfolio management fee is based on a percentage of your portfolio, using a sliding scale tied to the size of your assets. Included in this service is ongoing financial planning to ensure that your financial plan continues to meet your current life situation and priorities.
Discount for Both Services
If you choose to have us manage your investments after completing your financial plan, we’ll apply your planning fee toward your investment management fee—helping to reduce or offset your first year’s cost.
We’d Love to Hear from You One Way or Another
As a first step, let’s acquainted. Please click on the link below to schedule a 15-minute introductory Zoom meeting or phone call.
There’s no obligation. It’s just a way to see if it makes sense to work together.
Not ready for a meeting? Then sign up for my FREE weekly-ish newsletter where I write about everything financial – as it relates to you, your family and your financial future.
