Richard J. Wall, Jr., P.C., L.L.O. Attorney & Counselor At Law

Wills & Trusts • Probate & Trust Administration • Elder Law • Medicaid Planning • Farm & Ranch Protection

What we do

As noted on the “Welcome” page, “Estate Planning is our only business.”℠

Because tax and other laws affecting American families have become exceedingly complex, we have found that limiting our practice to a single area allows us to deliver work product of the highest quality and greatest value. We seek not to be a “jack of all trades” but “the master of one” – Estate Planning. This important aspect of the law includes:

These are critical matters, because it is important to have an estate plan that reflects your own desires for the disposition of property accumulated over the course of a lifetime. For example, if you do not have a will, the state (as a practical matter, through its laws of intestate succession) has already written one for you. It is a “one size fits all” arrangement that may not reflect how you want your own property distributed.

The only intelligent way to avoid this state-imposed distribution scheme is to work with an attorney who is experienced in Estate Planning. You can then communicate to him the details of your own situation and the manner in which you want your property distributed once you are gone.

And because of recent revisions to tax and other laws (as well as changes in your finances, your family, and the broader society), a trust or series of trusts is often used as a method to provide additional legal protection for you, your relatives and your hard-earned assets.

A trust also helps ensure that wealth you leave to your family actually stays within the family (and away from people who are predatory, unscrupulous or simply poor at managing money).

Mr. Wall's own family learned this latter lesson the hard way, when his ancestral farm was lost to the family for a period of years prior to his own entry into college and law school -- all due to a lack of knowledge about the protective powers of Estate Planning. This is one reason that he believes "farm and ranch protection" is of vital importance to the rural community and family members with ties to it.

Just as importantly, you can also use Estate Planning as a tool to promote faithful transmission to future generations of the values and wisdom developed during your life.

A Durable Power of Attorney for Property is also an essential tool to protect you and to allow management of your affairs in the event of your incapacity, or other situations that might prevent personal involvement with your property and finances.

In this age of euthanasia and so-called “assisted suicide,” one cannot overstate the importance of a well-crafted Power of Attorney for Health Care in order to protect you from such practices.

Finally, a proper application of Elder Law tools, such as Medicaid planning, can often help preserve wealth for future generations of your family, such as in cases where you or your spouse might require costly nursing home care.

An Estate Planning attorney with deep expertise in these areas of the law can help with all the foregoing matters. For that reason, we would be pleased to apply our knowledge, skills and experience for the protection of you and your family.

So if you need assistance with any aspect of Estate Planning, including Probate and Trust administration after the death or incapacity of a loved one, please contact us at (402) 421-8686 or rj@estateplansnebraska.com.