Estate Planning Services — Financial & Legal Guidance

A financial planner focuses on your overall financial strategy—investments, retirement income, tax management, and cash flow. An estate planner focuses specifically on the legal and financial structures that control how your wealth is transferred after death. At Sentinel, we integrate both. We coordinate your financial accounts, beneficiary designations, and asset titling (the 98% of estate planning that doesn't require a lawyer), then collaborate with estate attorneys when trusts, wills, or advanced legal instruments are appropriate. This ensures your financial plan and estate plan work together seamlessly.

Yes. Estate planning isn't just for the wealthy—it's for anyone who wants to control how their assets are distributed, avoid probate, and protect their loved ones. Without proper planning, your estate may go through probate court, which can be costly, time-consuming, and public. Even modest estates benefit from clear beneficiary designations, updated titles, and coordinated accounts. We help ensure your wishes are documented and your family is protected, regardless of estate size.

A trust is a legal structure that holds and manages your assets according to your instructions, either during your lifetime or after death. Trusts can help you avoid probate, minimize taxes, protect assets from creditors, and control how and when beneficiaries receive their inheritance. Whether you need a trust depends on your goals, family situation, and estate complexity. We review your circumstances and collaborate with estate attorneys to determine if a trust is appropriate and, if so, which type best serves your needs.

Estate tax minimization involves organizing your assets across taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free accounts, making strategic lifetime gifts, utilizing trusts, and coordinating beneficiary designations. We model long-term strategies like Roth conversions, Qualified Charitable Distributions, and tax-efficient gifting aligned with current IRS rules. Every client's situation is unique, so we stress-test strategies to ensure they reduce tax exposure without compromising your income or liquidity. Our goal is to help your wealth transfer efficiently and gracefully to the people and causes you care about.

If you die without a will (intestate), state law determines how your assets are distributed—which may not align with your wishes. Your estate will likely go through probate, a public court process that can take months or years and incur significant legal fees. Beneficiaries may not receive assets as you intended, and minor children may be placed with guardians you wouldn't have chosen. Proper estate planning ensures you retain control, minimize court interference, and protect your family from unnecessary stress and expense.

You should review your estate plan every 3-5 years or whenever you experience a major life event—marriage, divorce, birth of a child, death of a beneficiary, significant change in assets, or relocation to a new state. Tax laws also change, which can affect your strategy. We proactively monitor your plan for consistency and alignment, ensuring titles, beneficiaries, and legal documents remain current and coordinated. Regular reviews help avoid outdated provisions and ensure your plan continues to reflect your intentions.

Yes. We have 25 years of experience working with families who require lifelong support, and we've supported 20+ families with special needs on a long-term basis. We coordinate with attorneys and care planners to design financial structures that preserve eligibility for government benefits while ensuring financial security. This often involves special needs trusts, ABLE accounts, and carefully structured inheritance plans. Our goal is to provide peace of mind that your loved one will be cared for throughout their lifetime, even after you're gone.

Estate planning costs vary depending on the complexity of your situation, the services required, and whether legal documents like trusts or wills are involved. We provide comprehensive financial coordination—organizing accounts, beneficiary designations, and asset titling—and collaborate with estate attorneys when advanced legal work is needed. During your initial consultation, we'll discuss your goals, assess your needs, and provide transparent guidance on the scope and cost of services. Our focus is delivering a plan that's structured thoughtfully, legally sound, and aligned with your values.