» Your Home
• Home Buying
• Home Repair/Remodeling
• Vacation Homes
• Investment Properties

» Your Family
• Relationship Management
• Guardianship
• Elder Care
• Education Planning

» Your Health
• Health Care Directives
• Planning for Health Care

» Your Money
• Executive Contracts
• Incapacity
• Retirement
• Advanced Tax Planning

» Your Business
• Formation/Transition
• Business Tools
• Employee Management
• Tax Considerations

» Your Legacy
• Estate Planning for the Living
• Probate
• Ethical Wills
• Tax Considerations

» A Little More About Litigation
• Areas of Law
• Phases of Dispute

» A Little More about Same Sex
Couple LCM Planning

Your Home

Life Change Management begins at home. Your home is central to all of your major life changes. Buying a home. Selling a home. Renting a home. Remodeling a home.

Your home is usually the biggest asset in your net worth – and central to your retirement and estate plans.

Home Buying
Whether it’s the excitement of purchasing your very first home or the need for something different, home buying shouldn’t go without some consultation. Real estate agents are not lawyers and cannot give legal advice, but most people rely on their agents when signing one of the biggest contracts of their lives. Whether or not you are buying with others, you may one day share your home with another adult. This may be a spouse or partner, a roommate, or co-ownership of a multi-unit piece of property. As one of your biggest assets, having clarity about ownership, debt and tax implications and other considerations is critical to your own LCM plan. Making decisions in advance about how each of you will contribute to the home ownership in writing and in advance will prevent a decision to unite from becoming divisive down the line. Hancock Legal can help you to decide the form of ownership (joint tenancy, tenancy in common, condominium, etc.), and we can help you prepare the documents spelling out your agreement with your co-owners. Remember, anyone with a claim on your assets or the assets of your co-owner may need to know this information one day, and agreements regarding real property are not enforceable unless they are in writing.

Home Repair/Remodeling
It’s common that most people get referrals from friends and family when hiring contractors to do work in their homes. Hancock Legal can provide guidance as you enter into these agreements. Our attorneys are experienced in the construction industry, and familiar with the terms and conditions that should be in a contract to bring about your satisfaction and safety. We also understand the standards by which contractors must comply, and the ins and outs of disputes on the results of a home construction contract.

Vacation Homes
Vacation homes have special implications in the tax code as well as other areas like your Life Change Management plan. Generally, vacation homes are located in a different jurisdiction, subjecting you and your family to laws of these jurisdictions. Long-term use for the family has certain gift tax implications. Let the specialists at Hancock Legal help you fit your vacation home into your overall plan.

Investment Properties
Like vacation homes, investment properties will affect your bottom line when it comes to taxes – but you may also need help crafting and maintaining a lease, or you may have to deal with the unfortunate situations of hold-overs or property damage.