Control your healthcare, protect your assets, and secure your family's future—on your terms
Let's be honest: no one likes thinking about the "what ifs." It is easier to put off Estate Planning for "someday."
But Estate Planning isn't just for the wealthy, and it isn't just about who gets the house when you pass away. It is about your health and security right now. It is about ensuring that if you get sick or injured, the people you trust are the ones making decisions—not a judge or a stranger.
At the Law Office of Samantha Fix, I strip away the complexity. As your Digital Concierge, I guide you through the uncomfortable questions to create a plan that provides peace of mind today, not just tomorrow.
Why You Need a Plan (The Two Scenarios)
A comprehensive Estate Plan covers two distinct timelines. I help you prepare for both.
1. Protection While You Are Living (Incapacity) If an accident or illness leaves you unable to speak for yourself, who makes the calls? Without a plan, your family may be forced to go to court to get permission to access your bank account to pay your bills or to speak to your doctors.
- The Solution: We create Powers of Attorney and Health Care Proxies so your trusted advocates can step in immediately without government interference.
- The Protection: We create Trusts so your family can seamlessly manage your assets, from homes, condo and co-ops to any asset properly funded into your trust. Creating a fiduciary duty that you come first.
2. Protection When You Are Gone (Inheritance) If you pass away without a Will (intestate), New York State decides who gets your assets. This often means a "one-size-fits-all" distribution that ignores your wishes, cuts out unmarried partners, or hands money to irresponsible heirs.
- The Solution: We create Wills and Trusts that act as a strict instruction manual, ensuring your legacy goes exactly where you want it.
"Do I Really Need an Estate Plan?"
There is a common myth that you only need a lawyer if you have millions in the bank. That is false. If you answer "Yes" to any of these, you need a plan:
ü Do you have minor children? You need to name a Guardian so the courts don't decide who raises them.
ü Do you own a home or a business? You need a succession plan to prevent value loss or foreclosure during a transition.
ü Do you have specific healthcare wishes? You need a Living Will to ensure you aren't kept on life support against your will.
ü Do you want to minimize taxes? Strategic planning preserves more of your wealth for your family and less for the IRS.
Your Estate Planning Toolbox
I don't hand you a boilerplate template. I get to know your family dynamics and build a custom suite of documents, which may include:
- Last Will & Testament: The foundation of your plan.
- Revocable & Irrevocable Trusts: To avoid probate, protect assets, or manage money for children.
- Advance Directives (Living Will): Your instructions for end-of-life care.
- Power of Attorney: Financial authority for a trusted agent.
- Beneficiary Designations: Coordinating your life insurance and retirement accounts with your Will.
Why Choose a Neighborhood Attorney Over a DIY Website?
We have all seen the "Will in a Box" websites. They claim to be easy, but they are dangerous.
Online forms don't ask the hard questions. They don't know that your eldest son has a spending problem, or that your youngest daughter has special needs that require a specific Trust to protect her government benefits.
I do.
At the Law Office of Samantha Fix, I provide:
- Customization: A plan that fits your reality, not a drop-down menu.
- Legal Compliance: Ensuring your documents meet New York's strict execution requirements so they hold up in court.
- Holistic Coordination: I work with your financial advisor and accountant to ensure your plan actually works.
Secure Your Legacy Today
You work hard for what you have. Don't leave its future up to chance.
Contact me today at 516-716-8700 or use the form below to schedule your strategy session.