Very few people in Idaho have any type of estate plan in place. Unfortunately, if they become incapacitated or die, their loved ones will be left with many questions and uncertainties. Call Foley Freeman today to discuss how an estate plan can help you.

Our experienced Boise attorneys work closely with clients to understand their desires and fears. Leveraging decades of experience, we work with tax professionals and other experts to help create an estate plan that fits your needs and budget.

Our Estate Planning Practice

With the assistance of financial planners and tax professionals, Foley Freeman’s estate planning attorney, Mark Freeman, helps clients identify legal tools to protect assets, reduce or eliminate estate taxes, and, if a revocable trust is utilized, to avoid probate as well. Many legal documents may be necessary to create a comprehensive estate plan, including:

  • Simple wills
  • Complex wills
  • Living wills and health care directives
  • Powers of attorney
  • Revocable and irrevocable trusts
  • Special needs trusts
  • Charitable trusts
  • Business succession planning documents

At Foley Freeman, we recognize the importance to our clients of delivering a financial legacy to their families and loved ones, and we make sure that the appropriate legal protections are in place to secure our clients’ estate plans. In many instances, we involve the counsel of professional advisors who are familiar with a client’s goals and concerns, family situation, and assets. The time we take to fully understand our clients’ needs enables us to create truly customized plans.

With these documents, you can decide what end-of-life care you want, such as a feeding tube. You can also name people to serve as your agents and handle financial transactions (like paying bills) or decide which medical care you need. Contact our Boise estate planning attorneys for more information about how to create one of these documents.

Probate & Estate Administration

Probate is the legal process by which a person’s assets are distributed after death. If a person dies with a valid will, a personal representative is named to administer the estate, but if a person dies without a will, a court will appoint a personal representative according to statute. Attorneys from Foley Freeman can advise and represent an estate’s executor, and walk family members through the probate process.

When called upon to assist in estate administration, we take care of all the details necessary to settle an estate, including preparing and filing all necessary documents, notifying creditors, and overseeing the orderly distribution of property. If litigation becomes necessary to resolve a dispute related to probate or estate administration, we have a wealth of litigation experience and are fully prepared to proceed toward trial if it is in our client’s best interests.

Business Succession Planning

Anyone who owns or co-owns a business needs to plan now for who will take over the reins in the future. Without proper business succession planning, your company could end up in the wrong hands and go belly up. Our firm can walk you through all the different phases of business succession planning, including identifying future leaders and creating proper legal documents.

Problems if You Die Without an Estate Plan

Few people want to think about growing older. But if you die without an estate plan, then your loved ones could encounter:

  • Prolonged probate and a greater risk of a fight over the estate.
  • Difficulty gaining access to assets as the estate winds its way through the courts.
  • Disagreements about who should serve as the estate’s personal representative, and a risk that the court appoints someone inappropriate for the role.
  • Increased risk of depleting the value of the estate with unnecessary litigation.

Growing older without a living will or powers of attorney can also create headaches. Children might fight among themselves to get appointed guardian, and the guardian could end up draining the estate before you die. Even worse, some people scrape a template off the internet and use it as a guide to create a will, trust, or power of attorney.

There’s a real risk you end up with a totally ineffective document, inviting a legal challenge when you can no longer express your wishes. Instead, hire an experienced Boise estate planning attorney who can guide you through the process.

Get to Know Foley Freeman

Our origins are in Meridian, where our founders hung out a shingle at a tiny house in 1978. Since then, our firm has not only grown, but we’ve branched out to serve more of the communities in the Treasure Valley with their legal needs. If you hire Foley Freeman, you are getting some of the most experienced and respected lawyers in Boise.

Our firm has received numerous honors, and our partners are active in the Idaho bar. Now that you know a little about us, reach out so we can learn about you and your family.

Speak with a Boise Estate Planning Attorney

At Foley Freeman, we believe in empowering clients to make the right estate planning choices by providing them with accurate legal information. We are happy to create the final pieces of an estate plan or build one from the ground up. Our firm’s services are affordable, and we believe in transparent pricing.

Now is the time to take control of the future and create a customized estate plan.