Holmes Shirley Law

At Holmes Shirley Law, we understand that as a busy individual or business owner, you want to know that your family or business is protected. Our firm was built with the needs of growing families and growing businesses in mind. We recognize that as parents or business owners, you are busy and want to make sure that your family or children will be taken care of and prepared to receive your wealth, whether financial or intangible, in the event of your death or incapacitation.

Our firm focuses on providing guidance and support to help you build and maintain a life of prosperity and wealth. We encourage open communication with our clients and strive to make the legal process as smooth and efficient as possible. In fact, for the majority of matters, we bill on a flat-fee basis, agreed to in advance, so there are never any surprise expenses. We want our clients to feel comfortable reaching out to us with any questions or concerns.

Estate Planning

At Holmes Shirley Law, we specialize in helping working families plan their estates. Unfortunately, many individuals and couples have not yet done any estate planning due to various reasons, including avoiding the difficult subjects of death and incapacity, or believing that there will be a "better time" down the road for estate planning. However, we believe that the time to do this type of planning is now, before you need it.

Estate planning ensures that your family and assets are protected in the event of your death or incapacitation, or the death or incapacitation of a spouse or other care-taker of dependent or special needs individuals. It also ensures that your wishes are followed in regard to the distribution of your personal property and that spiritual, medical, and other personal end-of-life choices are honored. Additionally, estate planning can be a first step in getting your financial house in order, improving not only your current financial situation but allowing for the increase of wealth for subsequent generations.

Our services in the estate planning area include the preparation of last wills and testaments, revocable trusts, pet trusts, special needs trusts, marital trusts, children's trusts, guardianships, medical declarations/living wills, powers of attorney, HIPAA releases, long-term care and other medical preference documents. We believe that estate planning is a fluid process that adapts with your changing life, not simply a set of documents that sit on a shelf.

Probate and Estate Administration

Probate is the legal process that distributes a decedent's property after death. Whether or not someone had a will, the probate process is necessary if someone died owning property in his or her individual name. Estate administration involves all property owned by a decedent, whether probate assets or non-probate assets. This process involves ensuring real property is correctly titled after the death of one or more joint owners, filing a small estate affidavit, and more.

At Holmes Shirley Law, we can help you navigate the probate and estate administration process, whether you need limited legal advice for a specific aspect of probate or want someone to handle the entire estate administration. We can answer your questions about filing a small estate affidavit, whether to have a supervised or unsupervised probate, and what estate taxes are due.

Small Business Planning

As a small business owner, you have a variety of legal needs, including entity formation, employment contracts, independent contractor agreements, and registered agent services. At Holmes Shirley Law, we can assist you with these legal matters and more, helping you navigate the complexities of running a small business.

Our firm is dedicated to providing guidance and support to families and businesses, ensuring that your family or business is protected and prepared for the future. We believe that estate planning is not just about drafting documents, but about empowering individuals and families to make informed decisions about their financial and personal legacy.