Crane Building • 254 Court Avenue • Suite 209 • Memphis, TN 38103-2361
Estate Planning
"Beginning your Estate Plan is a painless, but necessary process
that can be made easier with the proper help."
"We’ll Take Care of You"™
Welcome to Eskridge & Eskridge, where we specialize in estate planning, helping individuals and families secure their futures and protect their legacies. Estate planning is a critical aspect of financial planning that involves arranging for the management and distribution of your assets in the event of incapacity or death.
Our experienced team at Eskridge & Eskridge understands the importance of comprehensive estate planning and the peace of mind it can provide. Whether you are just starting to plan for the future or need to update an existing estate plan, we are here to provide you with the guidance and expertise you need to navigate this complex area of law.
We offer a wide range of estate planning services tailored to meet your unique needs and goals, including drafting wills, establishing trusts, creating powers of attorney and advance directives, and implementing strategies to minimize estate taxes and avoid probate. Our attorneys will work closely with you to understand your wishes, assess your assets, and develop a personalized plan that reflects your values and priorities.
At Eskridge & Eskridge, we prioritize clear communication, personalized attention, and practical solutions. We understand that estate planning can be a sensitive and emotional process, and we are committed to guiding you through every step with compassion, integrity, and professionalism.
By taking proactive steps to plan for the future today, you can ensure that your loved ones are provided for, your assets are protected, and your wishes are honored. Whether you are planning for retirement, preparing for the unexpected, or thinking about your legacy, Eskridge & Eskridge is here to help you achieve peace of mind and security for you and your family.
As you think about your future and the future of your family, let Eskridge & Eskridge help you make sure that your needs are met and your wishes and plans are carried out. At Eskridge & Eskridge we will work with you to design an Estate Plan that accomplishes your short and long term goals. Attorneys Reginald and Janelle Eskridge offer private, personalized and confidential care. We often meet with Clients in their homes and we will meet with you in your home should you desire. We even make hospital calls! We handle each case personally and you will always be able to reach us to ask questions or to discuss your concerns. “We'll Take Care Of You.”™
Many people feel they do not need an Estate Plan. They mistaken feel that Estate Plans are only for the wealthy. Nothing could be further from the truth. Whether you are a retired school teacher, factory worker, doctor, lawyer, civil service worker, minimum wage employee, no matter what you do or have done for a living, you do have a family and if you do not specify what you want to happen with your property now and in the future, the government will decide for you. Countless family homes, homes that people have worked their whole lives to pay for, have been lost when family members pass away, because of a failure to plan.
At Eskridge & Eskridge we have helped many of our clients get their affairs in order. We will guide you through the process of planning for your future long term needs and the needs of your family and loved ones. A complete Estate Plan includes several components and although each Estate Plan will be different, at a minimum, we recommend the following:
A Will is a legal document by which you instruct what is to be done with your property after your death. It must be properly signed and properly witnessed. Any person who is of sound mind and is eighteen (18) years of age may make a Will in Tennessee.
Eskridge & Eskridge can assist you in drafting your Last Will and Testament, the document which allows you to designate:
• Your Wishes for the Distribution of Your Property
• Who will receive your property?
• Special gifts to friends
• Donations to your Church or special Charity
• How you wish to provide for the future of your children and grandchildren
• Who will raise your children if you die while they’re still minors, and your spouse is unavailable to care for them
• Whether your Beneficiaries receive their inheritance outright or in a trust
• Who will distribute your estate to your beneficiaries
"Who will handle your business affairs if you are not physically or mentally
able to do so? A Durable Power of Attorney will answer that question."
A Durable Power of Attorney is a document in which you authorize another person, who is called your agent or attorney in fact, to act for you. In the Durable Power of Attorney document you give your agent the right to transact business on your behalf. The agent my sign your checks, pay your bills, sign legal documents, even sell real property. Your agent can handle all matters that you normally would.
At Eskridge & Eskridge, we believe that making the decision to execute a Durable Power of Attorney is one of the wisest steps our clients can take in completing their Estate Plan. This document can save you and your estate thousands of dollars should the need arise that you become incapacitated by illness, accident or disease and are unable to handle your affairs and require a Conservatorship. (See our section on Conservatorship for more information)
In selecting a person to have your Power of Attorney, it is important to select someone that you trust completely. A Durable Power of Attorney can take effect in one of two ways. If you wish, it can take effect immediately. Or you can provide that before the durable power of attorney takes effect, two physicians must state, in writing, that you are incapable of handling your affairs. The latter is called a “springing” durable power of attorney. During your personalized consultation with us we will explain every aspect of this document and discuss in detail with you and why we at Eskridge & Eskridge feel the Durable Power of Attorney document is one of the most essential elements of a complete Estate Plan.
A Durable Power of Attorney ends at your death. Your agent retains no further authority to handle your finances. If you want your agent to settle your financial affairs after your passing, you need to name that person as your personal representative in your Last Will and testatement (Will). (See our section on Wills for more information)
Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare
A Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care gives your agent the authority to make health-care decisions for you when you are unable to make them yourself. This is a very important responsibility, so, just as selecting a person to serve as your attorney or agent in your Durable Power of Attorney, make sure you trust the judgment of the person you select. Be sure you discuss your health-care preferences with your agent, so he or she knows what you would want to happen with your medical care if you are unable to voice your opinion at the time of your illness. Your Living Will can also make your wishes known concerning medical decisions near end of life.
A Living Will, sometimes referred to as a Health Care Directive, is a separate legal document, not a part of your will. A Living Will, allows you to state in writing your preferences about life-prolonging medical treatment, taking this burden away from family members who often are not emotionally able to make such life and death decisions. We at Eskridge & Eskridge can explain in detail the purpose of this document. “We'll Take Care Of You.”
In a Living Will, you can advise all parties concerned whether you wish medical professionals to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining procedures or food and water – if you are in an incurable condition, or you’re near death.
Your Living Will takes effect only when you become incapacitated, cannot speak for yourself, and there’s no hope for your recovery.
A Trust is a legal document that creates a legal enity to retain money, property and real esate (assets) for the benifit of another person, pet or enity (the beneficiary). These assets are managed by a trustee (an institution or person) for the benefit of the beneficiary. The person who sets up the Trust and funds with the assets is called a trustor, donor or grantor.
Eskridge & Eskridge often draft various Trust instruments to accomplish goals of Clients.
• Asset Protection Trusts
• Irrevocable Trusts
• Revocable Trust
• Living Trust
• Testamentary Trust
• Credit Shelter Trust
• Charitable Trust
• Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT)
• Charitable Lead Trust (CLT)
• Trusts for Married Couples
• QTIP (Qualified Terminable Interest Property) Trust
• Special Needs Trust
• Pet Trust
• Generation-Skipping Trust
• Spendthrift Trust
• Gun Trust or NFA Trust
• Joint Trust
• Insurance Trusts
• Blind Trusts
"Completing your Estate Plan can bring you peace of mind, knowing that
your wishes will be carried out."
You can breathe a sigh of relief when you have done the proper estate planning. And with the help of Eskridge & Eskridge this process is painless. If prepared in time, a proper Estate Plan can save your estate potentially thousands of dollars by avoiding court intervention should you become incapacitated. Call our attorneys at Eskridge & Eskridge, remember for all of your Estate Planning needs, "We'll Take Care Of You."
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Additional Information
Should you desire additional information concerning our firm and the firm's practice areas, contact us today to be added to our mailing list and and to request our brochure entitled, "Wills" and our firm's Personal Care Brochure. You can now sign up to receive our upcoming Quarterly Personal Newsletter.
Contact Eskridge & Eskridge
Contact us to discuss your needs with our experienced attorneys. You can reach us several ways, you may contact us via telephone by calling our offices on 901-522-9600, or if you are out of the local calling area you may call us toll-free on (800) 881-5574, or e-mail us here at info@eskridgefirm.com, or simply use our Reservation online form to make an appointment. Remember, we make Home and Hospital calls. Make your Reservations Now.
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Eskridge & Eskridge Law Firm, at this time, practices areas do not include Family Law (Divorce) representation. However in Shelby County, Tennessee our Circuit Court Clerks may assist you with the documents you need to allow you to proceed “pro se” (Appearing in court when you are not represented by a lawyer) (This is a Latin phrase that means “for yourself.”) without a Lawyer. Please contact Shelby County Circuit Court for more information they are located at 140 Adams Street Memphis, Tennessee 38103.
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