Kansas City Estate Planning Attorneys | Estate Planning Distribution | Trust Administration and Disputes | Leawood, KS

Estate Planning

Death and taxes. With those two most notorious issues looming on every horizon at some point in life, Carpani & Gordon, P.A.’s goal is to assist clients in understanding the estate planning process and preparing for the orderly distribution of his or her affairs in a tax efficient manner, as these are the core reason to take the time to understand what will happen at the time of passing. Estate planning is essential to protect a client’s spouse, children, or other important people in life, pets and valued assets in the event of incapacity or death. Those who postpone the planning until it is too late assume huge risks that loved ones may not receive what was intended for them. Further, failure to plan can expose loved ones to the risk of receiving far less than intended due to the costs of potentially unnecessary administration, probate, litigation and taxes. No matter the size of an estate, a few minutes spent understanding the opportunities available to clients to provide for family and loved ones is prudent and will afford peace of mind.

To make the estate planning process clear and non-threatening, Carpani & Gordon, P.A. provides a no-charge one hour intake and consultation to discuss planning possibilities, deliberate on appropriate planning options and quote a fee. Our estate planning services are generally done on a flat fee basis so that the client understands the costs and benefits of each potential estate planning opportunity and can consider the wide range of products available. To depict the array of estate planning services we offer, as well as the fees associated with each general planning technique, we will be happy to provide a copy of our current fee schedule at any time upon request.

At a minimum, estate planning for every individual should include at least four important instruments:

1. a durable power of attorney for financial affairs,
2. a health care power of attorney,
3. a living will and
4. a will.

The powers of attorney allow for at least one person to assist the client with his or her financial affairs and to speak on the client’s behalf in health care matters in the event of disability or incapacity. In the absence of having these very inexpensive documents, a person’s heirs will have to seek Letters of Conservatorship or Guardianship to protect that person’s interests. Seeking such Letters will be time consuming, expensive and emotionally tolling on loved ones. The living will allows a client to tell the world what that person wishes to have happen in the event his or her life is being maintained by mechanical or other life sustaining procedures. Finally, a will specifically articulates who a person desires to care for his or her children, who receives any property at issue and under what specific terms.

Probate avoidance is also a very common reason clients visit our firm for estate planning. While some estates can efficiently be administered with mere beneficiary designation planning, for estates where there are multiple assets or family members of differing ages or needs, the living trust is the most common and well accepted device used to avoid the probate process and protect a person’s family and loved ones. Many benefits in addition to probate avoidance are available within the living trust as well. Commonly, parents will want to create timelines within which their children can receive all or part of their inheritances in order to prevent them from receiving one large financial windfall at date of death. Highly confiscatory estate taxes and income taxes are also a component of the trust planning process in estates of higher economic magnitude. Further, creditor avoidance planning, holding property for disabled or children with other challenges, Medicaid planning and specialized gifting or charitable planning are all techniques we commonly apply in the living trust setting. During our free one hour intake, these trust options will be explored where applicable to a client’s specific factual setting.

Estate and Trust Administration and Disputes.

At Carpani and Gordon, P.A., our attorneys have litigated for or provided litigation support, settlement and workouts to many estate and trust clients. We can provide invaluable insight and resolution options in situations ranging from a simple probate or trust administration or a more complex matter wherein estate planning was either not done at all or was poorly completed by a family resulting in complication or litigation. We have experience in will and trust litigation contests, fiduciary breach claims, tortious interference with inheritance claims, trust and will reformation and construction, family settlement agreements, as well as the more straightforward probate and trust administration services expected of an estate planning firm.

Should you have questions about an existing estate or trust matter, we stand ready to arm you with the information you need to make sound decisions about your rights and/or obligations and to demystify the processes and law in these most trying of matters. To set up a free one hour estate planning consultation or an appointment regarding a probate, trust administration, guardianship or conservatorship matter, please contact Christopher A. Gordon.

Tax Law

Carpani and Gordon, P.A. places a large emphasis on assisting clients with resolving Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR) and Missouri Department of Revenue (MDOR) tax issues.

In most instances, our clients have suffered the loss of a job, experienced a divorce, domestic abuse, health crises, family tragedy, business failure or similar life challenge which resulted in a delinquent IRS, KDOR or MDOR tax liability. Too often, financial and emotional stress mounts in the face of calls from agents or collection agencies or innumerable letters from taxing authorities detailing liens or unfiled returns.
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Business Law

Where business law is concerned, Carpani and Gordon, P.A.’s goal at the conclusion of each representation is for our clients to view us as more than a lawyer, but rather as a valued partner in business.

Our logo is intended to depict several important aspects of our practice. Beyond containing our monogram letters of C and G, our branding was specifically crafted to symbolize our core philosophy of assisting clients who are on the Cusp Of Greatness with actualizing their potential by our firm truly participating in and assisting them in getting over the proverbial hills which may be preventing them from realizing or exceeding their own business expectations.
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Personal Injury

A personal injury can be a devastating event physically, emotionally, and financially and can affect all aspects of a person’s life, from the ability to work to caring for family. The effects of a personal injury can present significant challenges: the legal system is complex in the area of personal injury and rigid timelines exist in which to sue or make a claim in different types of actions. An individual’s failure to act timely to protect him or herself can become a complete barrier to the right to recover. It is always wise to confer with a personal injury lawyer as soon as the injury occurs to educate yourself on your legal rights and the remedies available.
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