Chattanooga & Southeast Tennessee Call 423-305-1704

4Sight Legacy Planning™

Working to effectively pass on your legacy

We provide comprehensive estate planning, asset protection, plan maintenance and settlement services for individuals and families. Whether you are protecting what you have built or preparing a smooth transition for your loved ones, we guide you through every step.

Grandparents on a sofa read a book with their two young grandchildren, one leaning over the grandfather's shoulder.

Your estate plan is a statement of your values

When people prepare to create an estate plan, they want to control what they have while they are still alive. They also want proper management and protection in place should they become disabled later in life.

When it comes to passing on assets and businesses, protecting your wealth and making sure your values are upheld matter most. For business owners, passing on a company requires careful thought that goes beyond ownership.

Your estate plan is more than a legal document. It is a reflection of your values and wisdom. Families have two kinds of treasure: the assets they have worked hard to accumulate and the people they love. That is why every estate plan is a values statement. Through Purposeful Planning, we help you craft trusts that speak in your voice and convey your vision for the future.

Hands hold an old black and white baby photograph over an open family album filled with snapshots.

Key features of Purposeful Trusts

A Purposeful Trust is written to be read and understood by the people it serves.

  • Your voice, your trust: written in the first person, your trust reflects your intentions and values so your heirs can understand them.
  • Clear and understandable: written in plain English, with summaries and examples for complex terms.
  • Heartfelt purpose clauses: clauses that capture your vision for how your trust benefits your loved ones and your community.
  • Symbolic naming: a name that embodies your deepest purposes and hopes, connecting beneficiaries and trustees to your vision.
  • Sharing wisdom: guidance for beneficiaries and trustees that passes down your life lessons and values.
  • Transforming gifts: heirlooms and cash gifts turned into lasting legacies, with personal stories and meaning.
  • Seeds of gratitude: room to express your love and appreciation in a way that encourages and inspires future generations.

Protecting your legacy

After a lifetime of building a career, you probably have a good idea of where you want your assets to go. You want your loved ones to enjoy what you have in mind for them without battling over who will get what.

There are many pieces to an estate plan, and deciding which parts meet your needs can be difficult. Talking with an experienced Southeast Tennessee attorney who understands the details of estate planning can help you decide how to pass down your legacy.

Estate planning services

We prepare estate plans for business owners and non-business owners alike, including:

  • Trust Design
  • Verified Trust Funding
  • Plan Maintenance
  • Wealth Reception Training
  • Trust Settlements
  • Wills
  • Probate
  • Powers of Attorney
  • Advance Health Care Directives
  • Living Wills
  • Revocable Living Trusts
  • Deeds
Questions

Legacy planning questions

An estate plan is a set of instructions for what should happen to your property and your dependents. It can cover both financial and personal matters. For example, a will can say how your property is distributed after you die, and a power of attorney can appoint someone to make financial decisions for you if you become incapacitated.
Sometimes, but not always. A will only does certain things. It is a set of instructions for probate, the court-supervised process for proving the will and distributing assets, so it usually does not avoid court. A will also has no legal effect while you are alive, and some assets, such as life insurance and retirement accounts, pass by their own beneficiary designations. A plan may also need a trust, powers of attorney, health care documents, beneficiary updates and deeds.
Your will does not authorize anyone to act for you while you are living. Paying bills, managing investments, running a business or making health care decisions for you requires other planning: powers of attorney, health care directives, HIPAA authorizations and, in some cases, a revocable living trust.
A Purposeful Trust is written in the first person and in plain English. It includes purpose clauses that describe how you want the trust to benefit your loved ones, and it can carry your guidance, life lessons and the stories behind specific gifts, so your trustees and beneficiaries understand your intentions as well as your instructions.

Founding attorney J. Edward Nanney is a member of the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys. This relationship allows our firm to offer alliance benefits with DocuBank and Directive Communications Systems.

Schedule a consultation

It's time to get started on your legacy plan.

4Sight Legal Services, PLLC, has legacy planning services to help you get started on a comprehensive estate plan. To make an appointment in our Chattanooga office, call 423-305-1704 or contact us online.

Book a Consultation 423-305-1704 620 Lindsay Street, Suite 220, Chattanooga
Book a Consultation Call Us