Your LGBTQ+ Estate Planning Attorneys in Chicago

Legal Guidance for the LGBTQ+ Community

At Metz & Jones, LLC, we understand that estate planning is a deeply personal process. Estate planning calls for a nuanced approach, especially for the LGBTQ+ community. Our experienced estate planning lawyers in Chicago provide tailored advice and strategies that reflect the unique needs of our clients.

Estate planning is an essential part of life. It helps ensure your assets go where you want them to go after your death. It also allows you to plan for the management of your healthcare and property in the event of disability. Proper estate planning can help reduce costs and unnecessary stress for your loved ones after your passing, as well.

To get started on preparing for the future, contact our legal team today. At Metz & Jones, LLC, we prioritize your best interests to protect you and your loved ones.

Why Choose Our Law Firm for Your Chicago Estate Planning Needs?

At Metz & Jones, LLC, we recognize that estate planning presents unique legal and emotional challenges. This can be especially true for LGBTQ+ individuals and families. Our seasoned attorneys are adept at navigating these complexities. We know how to ensure your estate plan not only respects your wishes but also provides for your family.

Comprehensive Estate Planning Services

We offer an extensive range of services to safeguard your legacy and protect your assets. We handle:

• Wills and Trusts: A will ensures your assets are distributed according to your wishes and that your children receive the care and guardianship you designate in your absence. It provides clear legal instructions, helping to prevent disputes among beneficiaries and ensure your estate is handled correctly.
   
  Trusts offer additional benefits beyond a will. They can be utilized to reduce estate taxes, protect assets from creditors, and provide ongoing financial support to loved ones. Trusts also give you greater control over the distribution of select assets. Additionally, they can help your loved ones avoid the probate process, which can save time and reduce legal costs for your family.
• Powers of Attorney (POA): Powers of attorney are legal documents that grant someone the authority to act on your behalf. With a POA, you can choose a trusted person to manage your money or make medical decisions should you become unable to do so.
• Advanced Healthcare Directives: An Advanced Healthcare Directive lays out your medical care preferences to ensure they are honored if you can’t communicate. This may include:
  • Instructions for end-of-life care
  • Preferences for specific medical treatments
  • Decisions about life-sustaining measures
• Guardianship Nominations: Appoint a guardian to look after your minor children or dependent adults.
• Probate and Estate Administration: We help skillfully manage all legal processes after death. This includes ensuring assets are transferred correctly to your beneficiaries, managing probate, guiding the executor through their duties, etc.

A Personalized and Compassionate Approach to Estate Planning

Effective estate planning is deeply personal, so our attorneys dedicate time to truly understanding your circumstances and objectives. We are committed to crafting plans that align with your values while providing peace of mind.

Beyond Basic Estate Planning

Our services extend beyond basic estate planning to include:

• Probate Avoidance Strategies: We utilize legal methods like trusts, gifting, and joint ownership of property to transfer assets efficiently at death.
• Long-Range Planning: We create plans that meet your unique needs, simple or complex, with strategies that are effective during your lifetime and beyond.
• Domestic Partnership Agreements: We help craft domestic partnership agreements. These legally binding contracts are for two unmarried individuals who share a domestic life and don’t intend to marry. A domestic partnership agreement can include:
  • Defining financial responsibilities and property rights during the relationship
  • Specifying how assets and liabilities will be divided upon separation
  • Establishing rights in each other’s estate in case of death or disability
• Estate Tax Planning: Our team identifies ways to minimize estate and inheritance taxes, structure asset transfers efficiently, and preserve more wealth for your beneficiaries. We guide executors through tax filing requirements and help families avoid unnecessary tax complications during an already difficult time.

Updating Your Estate Plan

It’s important to regularly check your estate planning documents. If you completed them years ago, they may not fit your current circumstances or preferences.

It’s important to review your plan in case of any life changes or legal updates. Events like marriage, divorce, births, deaths, or even changes in the law may require you to review your plan.

Some examples of situations that may call for an update to your estate plan include:

• Your assets or net worth has changed
• Health changes for you or your beneficiaries
• Circumstances have changed for your beneficiaries (such as disability, marriage, separation or divorce, creditor problems, etc.)
• A birth, adoption, or death in the family
• You enter into a marriage or civil union
• You get separated or divorced
• You have a partnership agreement but are no longer with your partner
• You have recently moved
• Your minor children or grandchildren have become adults

Our legal team can make sure your estate plan reflects your current needs and wishes. Contact us at Metz & Jones, LLC, to speak with a qualified attorney.

Why Is Estate Planning a Necessity?

Without a plan, or at the very least a will, state laws will decide how your property is distributed after death. They will also choose who cares for your children or you if you cannot make decisions. We emphasize the importance of estate planning to ensure that your wishes are respected before and after death.

Proudly Serving the LGBTQ+ Community

At Metz & Jones, LLC, we provide effective estate planning for gay couples and individuals in Chicago, IL. We work hard to protect our clients’ rights and best interests. We also understand the unique and complex legal matters that impact members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Even if you don’t think you’re ready for an estate plan, you might be surprised to learn how much planning ahead could benefit you. From same-sex couples in domestic partnerships to married couples and single people who are lesbian or gay, estate planning offers an invaluable level of legal security.

Contact Our Chicago Estate Planning Lawyers

If you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community and seeking guidance on estate planning in Chicago, look no further than Metz & Jones, LLC. Our skilled estate planning attorneys will help you prepare for the future, ensuring your assets are protected and your wishes are honored.

To learn more about our services and schedule a consultation, please contact us online or call (773) 878-4480. Let our estate planning and family law attorneys help you secure your legacy with compassionate and competent legal representation.

Serving the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community + Friends in Chicago and Across Illinois.