Cary Estate Planning Lawyer
Estate Planning
Our focus as Cary estate planning attorneys is to help individuals and families make well-informed, forward-looking decisions about their estates and the passing of their property to their loved ones. We assist families at all stages of life. Thoughtful estate planning helps protect Cary families with children in the event of an untimely death, ensures that seniors have planned for long-term care, and can reduce probate fees and inheritance taxes. An estate plan drafted 10 years ago may need to be updated to reflect changes in the tax code or in your situation. Estate planning can be an emotional roller coaster. It is best to undertake estate planning when you still have a clear mind and are not under pressure to make decisions. It is important to work with a compassionate Cary estate planning lawyer who will take the time to understand your goals and values and craft an estate plan that honors your wishes.
Charitable Planning
Planned charitable giving is a great way to honor your values and leave a legacy of support for your favorite charities and non-profit organizations that can benefit future generations. Planned charitable gifts can provide tax advantages and lifetime income for you and your loved ones. If you are interested in making a significant philanthropic donation during your lifetime or after your death, it should be structured as part of a comprehensive estate plan. A Cary planned charitable gift attorney at Brady Cobin Law Group can help you take the legal steps to direct a tax-advantaged gift to a charity or non-profit.
Probate Administration
Probate is the legal process of distributing the assets and property of a deceased person to his or her heirs. The probate process is overseen by the Clerk of Superior Court who acts as probate judge. Many smaller estates may qualify under North Carolina law to be settled through less complicated, alternative methods rather than probating the estate. Probate can be a stressful process if you are unfamiliar with the forms to complete. The first step is to gather the relevant legal documents of the deceased and determine whether the person left a valid will. We’ve created a probate timeline tool to help you understand some of the filing requirements and deadlines in the probate process in Wake County. A compassionate Cary, N.C. probate attorney can help you review the options available to settle your loved one’s affairs and determine the most appropriate type of estate to open.
Litigation
Disputes sometimes arise over wills (especially when they are not declared), estates and inheritances. Sometimes a person with power of attorney abuses that authority and takes advantage of an elderly person’s diminished decision-making capacity, and when there is a large sum, there will always be pressure from different people. North Carolina law protects people age 65 and older as well as mentally or physically incapacitated adults from financial exploitation and abuse. Our estate litigation attorneys handle cases involving guardianships and competency issues, contested wills, trust fraud, and financial abuse of an elder. We handle trust litigation involving fraud, trustee bad faith, and unclear beneficiaries. Our Cary estate litigation attorneys have decades of experience helping people litigate complex disputes involving trusts and estates. Schedule a consultation so we can review the problem you are confronting.
Elder Law
Many people are enjoying longer lives in the 21st century. Our needs change as we age and become senior citizens. New legal issues arise. Our Cary elder law attorneys handle a broad range of legal issues specific to older adults, including long-term care planning, health care, guardianship, a medical directive, durable power of attorney, Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid. We can review your specific situation and help you determine the plans you need to have in place to protect your assets and ensure that your instructions are clear should you become incapacitated.
Facts About Cary, NC
Cary appears on many lists of best places to live, work, raise families and retire. The town experienced exponential growth in recent decades. According to Census figures, Cary’s population doubled every 10 years from 1960 to 2000.
Cary is the second largest municipality in Wake County and the 7th largest in the state of North Carolina.
Cary’s population in 2020 was 174,721, according to the U.S. Census.
Cary is a relatively affluent community with significantly higher household incomes than county, state and national averages.
Cary’s median household income in 2019 dollar is $104,669.
Cary’s population leads the state and national averages in level of educational attainment. More than 67 percent of Cary’s residents ages 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or higher degree.
Cary’s largest employer is SAS Institute, Inc., the largest privately held software developer in the world.
Money magazine has recognized Cary as one of the Best Small Cities in America.
Forbes magazine has recognized the Raleigh-Cary area as the #1 place to raise a family.
Kiplinger rated the town of Cary #2 on its list of best cities for early retirement.
The town of Cary is celebrating its 150th year in 2021.
Cary began as a railroad stop and was incorporated as a town in 1871.
The town was named after Samuel Fenton Cary, a prohibitionist from Ohio.
Parks and Greenways in Cary
Cary has more than 30 public parks and 82 miles of trails.
The Fred G. Bond Metro Park, located off High House Road in the center of town, is the largest municipal park in Cary. It has more than 300 acres of recreational space including trails, athletic fields, picnic shelters and a boathouse with boat rentals.
The Annie L. Jones Park features tennis courts, basketball courts and ballfields and has the trailhead for the Annie Jones Greenway, a popular trail for walking, biking and jogging.
The Harold D. Ritter Park is popular with families. Located at 301 Lochmere Drive West, the park has a playground with slides, a sky wheel climber, a climbing wall, a scrambler wheel in addition to athletic fields, a basketball court and picnic shelter.
Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheater at Regency Park hosts numerous outdoor concerts featuring national and international bands and serves as the summer home of the N.C. Symphony.
Stevens Nature Center at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve features an unusual stand of majestic Eastern Hemlock trees on the bluffs of Swift Creek. Hemlock trees typically grow hundreds of miles away in the Appalachian Mountains.
Cary Court System
Cary is located in Wake County. Probate filings and estate matters are handled by the Wake County Court system.