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Estate Planning in Hawaii

Estate planning, in a broad sense is preparing for an unanticipated death or incapacity, with the help of legal tools.

An estate plan will allow a Client to:

Avoid Probate;
Transfer assets in accordance with the Client’s wishes;
Provide for the care of the Client in the event of the Client’s incapacity; and
Minimize any estate or transfer taxes.

There is a growing trend in Hawaii of families fighting over the estate of a deceased family member (usually over real property), particularly when there is no planning in place. Timely planning will help prevent this and ensure that loved ones will be cared for in accordance with the Client’s wishes.

An estate plan typically consists of a Revocable Living Trust, Advance Health Care Directive, Durable Power of Attorney and Pour-Over Will but can also be expanded to account for any Medicaid Planning, Business Succession Planning, and other specialized tools to meet the needs of a client.

We can never know what life will bring around the corner. Everyone should have some measure of planning in place in the event of life’s unfortunate surprises.

If you would like to talk to us about your estate planning needs, we would be happy to sit down with you. Call us at 593-2199, or e-mail us at office@islandlawyers.com now.

Gavin K. Doi

Gavin, a founding partner of Doi/Luke, was born and reared in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, graduating from McKinley High School, and receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Reed College in Portland, Oregon. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver College of Law in Denver, Colorado. Previously, Gavin worked with the Child Support Enforcement Agency and the AmeriCorps Domestic Violence Clinic. An advocate of pro bono legal work, Gavin volunteers time with Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii and the Hawai’i State Bar Association. In 2013, Gavin co-authored the book Child Custody Litigation and Settlements (Aspatore Books/Thomson West), penning the section "Working with Your Client Towards a Successful Child Custody Case." Gavin is a member of the Hawaii State Bar Association and the HSBA Family Law Section, and was presented with the 2002 Justice Award by the Hawaii State Bar Association, which honors one lawyer annually for their outstanding contribution to the ideals of justice. The Hawaii Access to Justice Commission honored Gavin in 2012 for his pro bono service to the community. Gavin has extensive experience in divorce, paternity, child custody, child support, restraining orders, and other family law matters, and has a Distinguished rating with Martindale-Hubble®/Lawyers.com, and an Avvo rating of 10 out of 10. He can be e-mailed at: gkdoi@islandlawyers.com .

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