Estate planning that brings your assets, decisions and legacy into one coordinated strategy
Estate planning is broader than a stack of documents. It connects your family, your assets, your beneficiary designations, incapacity planning, your business, your property, your legal documents and tax coordination into one plan that works together.
At Alemay Business, we review your family, assets, businesses and goals, organize the information and coordinate the overall planning process, staying involved through implementation and follow-up. When legal determinations or legal documents are required, the appropriate independent attorney works directly with you based on specialty and jurisdiction.
We work with individuals, married couples, families and business owners in multiple U.S. states, except New York, New Jersey and California, coordinating with an independent attorney authorized in the applicable jurisdiction. Miami office and virtual service when appropriate, in English and Spanish.
At a glance
- Service
- Coordinated estate planning covering family, assets, incapacity, succession and the related professional work.
- Who it's for
- Individuals, married couples, families and business owners who want clear planning for their assets and future decisions.
- Coverage
- Multiple U.S. states except New York, New Jersey and California, with independent-attorney coordination by jurisdiction.
- Getting started
- Schedule a consultation or message us on WhatsApp.
Estate planning also addresses what may happen during your lifetime
Planning your estate is not only about deciding who receives your property after you pass away. It is also about organizing what should happen with your assets, your decisions, your family and your business if one day you cannot handle those matters yourself.
- You own a home or other real estate
- You are married or have a blended family
- You have children or grandchildren
- You own a business
- You have bank accounts or investments
- You have retirement accounts
- You have life insurance
- You want to set or review your beneficiary designations
- You want to plan for what would happen if you became incapacitated
- You want to decide who could handle certain affairs for you
- You want your healthcare preferences documented
- You want to plan the succession of your business
- You own property in more than one state
- You want to reduce future complications for your family
- You want to organize how certain assets would transfer
- You already have documents, but they are outdated
- You moved to another state
- You married, divorced or your family situation changed
- Your assets have changed significantly
- You have never put an estate plan in place
These situations do not all call for the same solutions. The first step is looking at what you own, who depends on you and what you want to happen.
It is not one document: it is a set of coordinated decisions
A solid estate plan connects documents, assets, beneficiaries, real estate, businesses and personal decisions into a strategy that holds together. When each piece is prepared in isolation, the components of the plan can end up inconsistent with one another.
- Your family and the people who depend on you
- Your assets and how they are titled
- Your real estate
- Your named beneficiaries
- Planning for incapacity scenarios
- The legal documents that fit your case
- Your preferences regarding medical decisions
- Your business and its continuity
- How certain assets would pass to others
- Tax considerations when they are relevant
- Administration after death
- Ongoing follow-up and review of the plan
A trust can be part of the plan, but the plan is much broader
A trust can be part of the plan, but not every plan needs the same tools. The strategy is defined after the review, together with the appropriate independent attorney.
Estate planning: the strategy
- A full review of your situation
- A will when appropriate
- A trust when appropriate
- Powers of attorney
- Healthcare documents
- Beneficiary coordination
- Business succession
- Real estate
- Tax coordination
- Incapacity planning
- Implementation and follow-up
A trust: one of the tools
A trust is a legal tool that can be part of the strategy when its characteristics fit the client, their assets, their family and the applicable jurisdiction. It is not a synonym for an estate plan, and it is not a universal solution.
See our Trusts serviceWhat happens if you are alive but cannot manage your own affairs?
Incapacity planning is an important part of a complete estate plan. The goal is to decide in advance who can act on your behalf and under what conditions.
What can be addressed
- Who could handle certain financial matters
- Who could make certain decisions on your behalf
- Who could participate in medical decisions
- How certain medical information can be accessed
- How certain assets would be coordinated
- Who could continue certain responsibilities
Documents that may be used, depending on the case
- Durable Power of Attorney
- Healthcare Surrogate
- Living Will
- HIPAA Authorization
- A trust when appropriate
- Other documents appropriate to the jurisdiction
Appropriate planning can put important mechanisms in place for incapacity, but its effects depend on the documents, the circumstances and applicable law.
A will is still an important piece in many plans
Under applicable law, a Last Will and Testament can be used to set instructions regarding certain property and to make certain appointments.
- Beneficiaries
- Personal representative or executor, depending on the jurisdiction
- Certain instructions regarding your property
- Appointments related to minor children when applicable
- Coordination with the other documents in your plan
A will does not by itself avoid probate. A will and a trust serve different functions and can be used together, depending on the strategy.
When a trust is part of the strategy
When the review suggests a trust may be appropriate, we evaluate with the appropriate independent attorney what it would be used for within the plan.
- Organizing certain assets
- Management during your lifetime
- Transferring certain property to your beneficiaries
- Incapacity scenarios
- Instructions for beneficiaries
- Continuity of administration
- Probate exposure for certain properly coordinated assets, where applicable
Decide who can act when you cannot
A power of attorney lets you name someone to act in certain matters. That authority is not unlimited: it depends on what the document says, on applicable law and on how the document is prepared for your specific needs.
A power of attorney does not automatically replace a trust, a will or the other documents in your plan. Each one serves a different function.
Healthcare decisions deserve planning too
Depending on the jurisdiction and the needs of your case, documents such as a Healthcare Surrogate, a Living Will and a HIPAA Authorization can be part of the estate plan, organizing who participates in certain decisions and who can access certain medical information.
Not everyone needs exactly the same documents. This information is general and is not medical advice.
Your beneficiary designations should line up with the rest of your plan
Different assets can transfer through different mechanisms: some follow beneficiary designations, others depend on how title is held, and others depend on the documents in your plan. That is why they should be reviewed together.
- Life insurance policies
- Retirement accounts
- Certain financial accounts
- Trusts
- Wills
- Business interests
- Other existing designations
Beneficiary designations should be reviewed as part of the complete strategy and coordinated with the appropriate professionals before any change is made.
Retirement accounts need their own attention
Accounts such as an IRA, a 401(k) or other retirement plans usually follow their own rules inside an estate plan.
- They may carry beneficiary designations that operate separately from your will
- Their rules may differ from the rules that apply to other assets
- Certain decisions may carry tax consequences
- They should be reviewed individually, not changed automatically
There is no universal guidance on how to name beneficiaries for these accounts. Any decision should be coordinated with the appropriate independent attorney and with a tax professional when applicable.
Insurance should be coordinated with the plan
As part of estate coordination, it may be useful to review:
- Whether policies exist
- Who owns the policy, where relevant
- Named primary beneficiaries
- Contingent beneficiaries
- Family goals
- How the policy relates to the rest of the estate plan
- Coordination with trusts, succession and beneficiaries when appropriate
Within estate planning, life insurance can be part of the overall coordination when it is relevant. When an insurance need is part of the estate-planning strategy, Alemay Business can coordinate and provide the applicable insurance service through properly licensed professionals.
Real estate is a major part of the picture
The review can look at how your properties are titled and how they relate to the rest of the plan.
- Primary residence
- Other properties
- Rental properties
- Property located out of state
- How title is held
- Existing deeds
- Ownership and joint ownership
- Homestead when applicable
- Coordination with a trust when one is part of the plan
- How the property would pass to others
When a legal determination or the preparation of a deed is required, Alemay Business coordinates with the appropriate independent attorney or authorized professional. Not every property belongs in a trust, and no transfer by itself guarantees that probate will be avoided.
What happens to your business if you can no longer run it?
When a business interest is a meaningful part of your assets, estate planning and business planning need to be coordinated.
- Entity ownership
- Management
- Succession
- Continuity
- Key people
- Beneficiaries
- Operating agreements
- Shareholder agreements
- Buy-sell arrangements when relevant
- Transfer restrictions
- Tax impact
- How the business interacts with trusts
- Family coordination
Business continuity
Questions that help identify whether your business is prepared. Continuity cannot be guaranteed, but it can be planned for in advance.
- Who could run the business temporarily?
- Who would inherit or receive your ownership interest?
- Do you have partners, and what did you agree to with them?
- What do your current entity documents actually say?
- Is there a defined succession strategy?
- How does that strategy interact with your family?
Not every business needs a buy-sell agreement or the same structure. Legal determinations belong to the appropriate independent attorney.
Legal planning and tax planning should talk to each other
Decisions involving these areas can carry tax implications worth reviewing before you act on them:
- Assets
- Businesses
- Trusts
- Transfers
- Gifts
- Succession
- Estates
Alemay Business can coordinate the planning process with the appropriate independent attorney, tax professionals and our Personal Tax Preparation and Business Tax Preparation services when relevant.
Tax consequences depend on your situation, your assets, the structure and applicable law. We do not promise tax reduction or any specific tax result.
Can estate planning reduce the need for probate?
A well-coordinated plan may allow certain assets to transfer through mechanisms that do not require probate, depending on:
- Type of asset
- How title is held
- Beneficiary designations
- Trust funding, when a trust exists
- Applicable jurisdiction
- The structure used
Avoiding or reducing probate is not an automatic result. It depends on how the assets are structured and coordinated and on applicable law.
How assets transfer can also affect privacy
Depending on the jurisdiction, certain transfer mechanisms may avoid part of the public exposure associated with some court proceedings. Complete privacy and the total absence of public information cannot be guaranteed.
Clear instructions can reduce uncertainty
An organized plan can document decisions, the people responsible, beneficiaries, instructions and how things should be administered. No one can guarantee that conflict will never arise, but clear planning can reduce uncertainty and leave your decisions better documented.
When family relationships are layered, planning needs more precision
In blended families, coordination between documents, beneficiaries and property tends to matter even more. Depending on the case, we look at:
- Prior marriages
- Children from different relationships
- A new spouse
- Different beneficiaries
- Property acquired before the marriage
- Family businesses
Minors and beneficiaries who need management
Leaving assets directly to minors or to certain other beneficiaries may call for additional management mechanisms. How that is structured depends on the family situation, the assets and applicable law, and it is defined with the appropriate independent attorney.
Your estate plan should not stay frozen while your life changes
- Marriage
- Divorce
- Birth of children or grandchildren
- Death of a family member or beneficiary
- Buying or selling real estate
- Starting or selling a business
- A significant change in your assets
- Moving to another state
- A change in beneficiaries
- Significant changes in family relationships
- Relevant legal or tax changes
There is no universal required update schedule. Significant changes in your life, your assets or the law can justify a review.
How we work
An organized process to move from review to an implemented plan, with each professional in their own role.
Consultation and asset map
We gather information about your family, assets, businesses, goals and applicable jurisdiction.
Identifying what needs planning
We identify which areas need attention and which professionals may need to be involved in your case.
Coordinated strategy
Alemay Business coordinates the personal, business and tax analysis; the appropriate independent attorney makes any legal determinations that are needed.
Document preparation
The appropriate independent attorney works directly with you to prepare, review and explain your legal documents.
Implementation and coordination
We support the organization of beneficiaries, real estate, assets, businesses, trusts and the other pieces of the plan, keeping each professional in their own role.
Follow-up
The plan can be reviewed when your family, financial or business circumstances change.
Timing depends on the complexity of the case and the professional coordination required; we do not offer a universal timeline.
Documents that can be part of the plan
- Last Will and Testament
- Revocable Living Trust
- Other trusts, depending on the strategy
- Pour-Over Will
- Durable Power of Attorney
- Healthcare Surrogate
- Living Will
- HIPAA Authorization
- Deeds when applicable
- Certain business documents
- Beneficiary designations
- Other documents the case may call for
Not every client needs all of these documents. The plan is defined by your individual situation and goals, and the legal documents are prepared by the appropriate independent attorney.
Information we may need
Depending on the case, these are the items typically reviewed during the analysis.
- Valid identification
- Marital status
- Spouse information
- Children and other relevant family members
- Current beneficiaries
- Real estate
- Mortgages
- Bank accounts
- Investments
- Retirement accounts
- Insurance policies
- Businesses
- Ownership percentages
- Entity documents
- Existing trusts
- Existing wills
- Powers of attorney already granted
- Healthcare directives
- Deeds
- Current beneficiary designations
- Significant obligations
- Property located in other states
- Personal and family goals
Please do not send your SSN, full account numbers, policy numbers, financial statements, deeds, medical records or confidential legal documents through WhatsApp, public forms or any other unsecured channel. We will point you to the secure channel to use.
Planning coordinated to your jurisdiction
Rules about wills, trusts, probate, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, real estate and other estate-planning components can vary from state to state. When a matter requires analysis or documentation under a specific state's law, Alemay Business coordinates with an independent attorney authorized in that jurisdiction.
Current coverage
We serve clients in multiple U.S. states, except New York, New Jersey and California.
The independent attorney's role
The appropriate independent attorney works directly with you to prepare, review and explain your legal documents, based on their specialty and the applicable jurisdiction. Alemay Business coordinates the overall process; our staff does not provide legal advice.
What the service can include
- Initial consultation
- Asset map
- Family review
- Asset review
- Goal identification
- Review of existing documents
- Coordination of legal planning
- Incapacity planning
- Succession planning
- Coordination of trusts
- Coordination of wills
- Coordination of powers of attorney
- Healthcare planning coordination
- Beneficiary review
- Retirement account coordination
- Life insurance coordination
- Real estate review
- Deed coordination when appropriate
- Business succession
- Business continuity
- Tax coordination
- Probate planning
- Asset organization
- Implementation support
- Follow-up
- Later review
The scope depends on what you need. Planning can be comprehensive or focused on one specific issue.
Clear expectations from the start
What we do
- Review your family, financial and business situation
- Organize your assets, documents and information
- Coordinate the different components of the plan
- Work through the strategy together with you
- Identify which areas need attention
- Work with the appropriate independent attorney
- Coordinate tax matters with the appropriate professionals
- Support you through implementation of the plan
- Review existing plans and documents
- Follow up when your circumstances change
What we do not promise
- Avoiding probate in every case
- Eliminating estate taxes
- Reducing taxes by any particular amount
- Absolute asset protection
- Protection from creditors
- Avoiding guardianship proceedings in every case
- Avoiding family conflict
- Complete privacy
- That everyone needs a trust
- That everyone needs the same documents
- That one strategy works the same way in every state
- A specific legal or tax result
Why Alemay Business
One coordinated plan, not scattered documents
We review your family, assets and businesses before identifying which areas may need planning and professional coordination.
Independent attorney coordination by specialty and jurisdiction
When legal documents or legal determinations are required, we work with the appropriate independent attorney based on specialty and the applicable jurisdiction.
Trusts considered as one tool, not a default
We evaluate with the appropriate professional whether a trust fits your plan, instead of presenting it as a universal solution.
Incapacity planning and beneficiaries
Incapacity planning and beneficiary coordination are treated as part of the plan, not as isolated paperwork.
Business succession and continuity
We coordinate ownership, continuity and succession when your assets include an LLC, corporation or partnership.
Tax coordination
We connect the planning with Personal Tax Preparation, Business Tax Preparation and Bookkeeping when the case calls for it.
English and Spanish
We work in English and Spanish so communication stays clear throughout the planning and coordination process.
Miami, multi-state coverage and Ale app
9380 SW 72 ST, Suite 230B, Miami, FL 33173. We also work virtually with clients in multiple states, and Ale app keeps your services, appointments and resources on your phone.
A coordinated team around your planning
Alemay Business coordinates the different components of the process and, when legal documents or legal determinations are required, works with the appropriate independent attorney based on specialty and jurisdiction. Independent attorneys are outside professionals, not employees of Alemay Business, and they work directly with you on the legal work your case requires.
Ale app: the digital side of Alemay Business
From Ale app you can reach our services, book appointments, check resources and keep the conversation going throughout the planning process.
Frequently asked questions
Related services
Trusts
The legal tool that can become part of the plan when its characteristics fit your situation.
View servicePersonal Tax Preparation
Preparation of your personal return with your documentation organized.
View serviceBusiness Tax Preparation
Business returns based on your entity structure and corporate documentation.
View serviceBookkeeping
Organized books so you know where your business actually stands all year.
View serviceYour estate deserves a plan, not a collection of disconnected documents
Schedule a consultation with Alemay Business to review your family, assets, businesses and goals and coordinate an estate-planning strategy built around your situation.
Estate planning depends on your personal and family circumstances, your assets, your businesses, your goals, your documents and applicable law. Alemay Business does not guarantee probate avoidance, the elimination or reduction of taxes, absolute asset protection, the absence of family conflict, any particular guardianship or incapacity outcome, complete privacy or any specific legal or tax result. When legal advice, drafting or review is required, the appropriate independent attorney for the matter, authorized in the applicable jurisdiction, handles that legal work directly with the client. This page is general information and is not individualized legal or tax advice. Alemay Business is not a law firm.
Alemay Business · 9380 SW 72 ST, Suite 230B, Miami, FL 33173 · 305-300-2346 · business@alemaybusiness.com · Fax 305-402-0706