Asset Protection & Taxation
Legacy Protection
Legal Services with Longer-Than-Life Benefits
You deserve protection and peace of mind.
An expertly crafted estate plan provides that.
Planning for the end of your or a loved one's life can be a challenging concept. The exercise, however, is a vital component toward ensuring your family and beneficiaries are taken care of, your assets passed along in a manner you desire, and that your legacy assets are protected. At North Carolina Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law, our team has decades of combined experience helping individuals and families just like you and yours create the peace of mind that comes with establishing an expertly crafted estate plan. We've helped hundreds of clients secure millions of dollars in assets for their legacies. We can help you, too.
Estate Planning & Asset Protection
No matter what stage of life you may find yourself in, it is seldom too early to begin considering your assets and planning an estate. While it may initially seem like a daunting task, it can be handled simply and seamlessly with the proper assistance and support. Whether you have done prior research into the matter or not, it can be incredibly beneficial to have the advice and services of an estate planning attorney on your side.
From wills to a variety of available trust funds, the world of estate planning can seem confusing at first glance. No matter your level of assets or current family situation, there is a vast array of options meant to cover the entire spectrum of unique situations people create from their lives.
While it may never be too early to create an estate plan, there is a time where it may become definitively too late. If you become unexpectedly incapacitated for any reason or are no longer of sound enough mind to make legally binding decisions, you will be unable to make complete your estate planning documents. This unfortunate reality is crucial and may leave your family and those close to you in a difficult position.
Fiduciary Matters
The ultimate goal of estate planning is to prepare your estate to be handled after your passing and to delegate someone to ensure your wishes are followed in the way you intended at the time of the plan's formation. Our trust administration attorneys can help you ensure everything will be handled correctly. Regardless of when or where your plan was originally created, we can help tailor it and ensure it is carried out in the unfortunate event of your passing.
Probate is the inevitability your loved ones will face if your assets were not adequately protected through an estate plan or trust at the time of your death. While endless online resources promise quick and straightforward solutions for estate planning, almost none of them consider the complexities introduced by each state, and are rather one size fits all.
In North Carolina this is no exception. While the primary estate planning structure may be similar across the country, covering the minutia required where you live is an impossible task for online document generators. Though this can be a complex area of law to parse independently, the attorneys at North Carolina Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law have a wide breadth of experience and leadership to draw from to ensure your estate planning goals will be accomplished and facilitated.
JAMES E. HICKMON, PLLC
WE ARE A TEAM OF EXEMPLARY LEGAL PROFESSIONALS
We are peer-reviewed and board certified.
We treat our clients like family.
We ensure you have an exceptional legal experience.
We provide personalized consultation and service.
We offer comprehensive, relatable representation.
We are widely respected, award-winning
lawyers and financial planners.
VIDEO CONSULTATION AVAILABLE
CONNECT WITH US
Complete this form and we will contact you ASAP.
BOARD CERTIFIED
LEADERSHIP
HUNDREDS
OF CLIENTS SERVED
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
IN SECURED ASSETS
Develop a plan that achieves your goals now and protects your legacy for the future.
Regardless of your situation, the first step on the path towards handling any aspect of the estate planning process you may face is calling North Carolina Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law in Charlotte, NC, to schedule a consultation. From this meeting, we will gauge your goals and needs when planning your estate or evaluate your situation if a dispute or issue has arisen. Remember, while it is never really too early to begin planning for the inevitable, it can assuredly be too late, so don't hesitate! Call our office in Charlotte, North Carolina, as soon as possible to explore your pre- or post-mortem estate options.
We believe a holistic, team-focused approach is vital to crafting an effective estate plan. We identify your objectives, help you focus on your specific needs and, when necessary, seek detailed guidance from our professional network of tax advisors, wealth managers, accountants, and those you have employed. We apply this tradition of excellence to creating custom estate plans that afford you peace of mind knowing your unique circumstance has been considered at every point. We are communicative, clear, and protective now, and are here if things should change in the future.
Estate Planning for
Asset Protection through
|
Special Planning for
|
Estate Administration, Probate, Estate Litigation
Clients often come to us when a loved one has passed away without having created a will or a trust. For these individuals, the confusion over how to handle the deceased’s estate is often coupled with the raw emotion of their own personal loss. This can be a recipe for a confusing and emotionally exhausting experience that rides on top of their grief. Our significant experience in the area of probate, estate administration, and trust administration can help put your mind at ease now, and spare your heirs unnecessary anxiety later.
Regardless of whether a loved one dies with or without an estate plan, we can assist you with both post-mortem planning and estate administration. There are certain strategies that we can employ to achieve tax savings and simplify the administration of the estate, even after your loved one has died.
If you are seeking long-term nursing care for your elderly loved one, you may not want personal finances and assets to cover all of their expenses. We help clients structure plans to ensure qualification for Medicaid, which can help alleviate certain living expenses. Long-term nursing home care is expensive but if you qualify Medicaid can help cover these costs.
Part of this qualification hinges upon developing a proper estate plan which can help you meet the requisite asset limits. Even when already in a nursing home, we provide clients with a thorough explanation of the laws related to Medicaid for long-term care, as well as careful attention to detail and craft a plan that will help you protect your assets from being consumed by your care and final illness.
Business succession plans are not only for large scale businesses or those with complex ownership structures, exit plans benefit all businesses including those who anticipate passing a business to co-owners, family members, or even to third-party buyers.
Careful planning not only allows you to remain in control of the business in order to facilitate the continued growth of your business but also helps ensure your business has sufficient support and funds needed during a critical transaction period. Providing a successor with the peace of mind and authority to take control of the business in an orderly and thought out fashion can go a long way in alleviating stress to those who have a stake in the business, including family and key employees.
Some important goals of any estate plan are to protect assets and minimize tax liability. It is critical to provide the latest estate planning tools to achieve these objectives. We were one of first law firms in western North Carolina to use family limited partnerships (FLPs), limited liability companies (LLCs), and revocable living trusts to protect people’s estate plan. Other ways to protect assets and avoid unnecessary tax liability include:
- Business succession planning
- Medicaid planning for nursing home care
- IRA planning
- Charitable planning
- Estate tax and gift tax planning
- Asset protection
ARTICLES
WANT TO WORK WITH US?
VIDEO CONSULTATION AVAILABLE
CLIENT REVIEWS
A very professional attorney and law firm. I can not imagine a more satisfactory encounter. Highly recommended.
Bill
Great representation, counsel, and results. His firm operates as a team, and we felt extremely well represented. I highly recommend Jim and the firm.
Richard
Jim has been instrumental in our case which spanned multiple states. Highly recommend Jim!
A Satisfied Client
I highly recommend Jim to handle your legal needs. His staff is professional and thorough. I am a fan of Jim and the firm. If you want honest, fair and someone that fights for you, Jim is the lawyer you need!
A Satisfied Client
My family and I highly recommend Jim for legal assistance with Guardianship proceedings.
David
Numerous attorneys said that Mr. Hickmon was the only person they would recommend for my complex multi-state legal issue. I can attest that his vast legal knowledge, professionalism, and relatability are a rare combination so my resources were well spent.
A Satisfied Client
I could not have chosen better. Jim and his entire staff are kind, caring, and thoroughly knowledgeable on what can be done. I always felt my case was important to them and that they were doing their best for me at all times.
A Satisfied Client
One of the best estate attorneys in Charlotte! I definitely recommend to work with them, very professional staff but also friendly and understanding of unique situations.
Vic
I strongly endorse Jim Hickmon. Jim has very strong skills regarding setting up an appropriate and well-designed estate plan for clients with complex legal and tax needs. You won't find estate matters that are too difficult for Jim Hickmon.
Jeremy Canipe, a Peer Attorney
