Effective estate planning provides control over assets, healthcare decisions, and legacy wishes, while sound business law guidance supports compliant formation, governance, and smooth transitions. By combining these disciplines, families and companies in Severn can safeguard prosperity, minimize disputes, and ensure continuity across generations and market cycles.
Enhanced clarity empowers families to navigate decisions with fewer disagreements and more unity. For businesses, a cohesive plan supports steady leadership, clear succession pathways, and predictable governance, reducing ambiguity during critical moments and ensuring resources are allocated according to long-term priorities and shared values.
Choosing the right counsel matters for complex planning and corporate matters. Our team brings practical experience, clear communication, and a client-focused approach to Severn clients, helping you avoid common pitfalls and achieve resilient outcomes. We translate legal concepts into actionable steps and timelines.
Document execution includes witnessing, notarization where required, and secure delivery. We guide you through the process to ensure timely funding and implementation, so your plan takes effect as intended, protecting assets and maintaining governance during life events and transitions.
A comprehensive estate plan typically includes a will, one or more trusts, powers of attorney, and advanced directives. These documents designate how assets are distributed, who will make decisions in illness or incapacity, and how guardianship and care should be managed for dependents. A well-structured plan also coordinates tax strategies and transfer timings. The goal is clarity, protection, and continuity for your family and business.
Trusts can offer enhanced control over asset distribution, potential tax advantages, and greater flexibility for managing wealth across generations. They are particularly useful when family members are young, assets are complex, or business interests require orderly succession. A careful assessment determines whether a simple will suffices or a trust-based plan is preferable.
A power of attorney authorizes another person to act on your behalf for financial or health decisions. It is a critical tool to maintain continuity during illness or absence. Selecting a trusted, capable agent and specifying the scope ensures your preferences are honored while avoiding unnecessary court involvement.
Maryland law shapes the validity of wills, trusts, and guardianship provisions. It also governs tax exemptions, probate procedures, and fiduciary duties. Working with an attorney familiar with Maryland statutes helps ensure documents comply, avoid delays, and align with state-specific requirements for asset transfer and succession planning.
A fiduciary manages assets and enforces the terms of estate or trust documents. Their duties include prudent investment, avoidance of conflicts, and transparent reporting to beneficiaries. Choosing reliable, detail-oriented individuals or institutions helps maintain trust integrity and reduces potential disputes during administration.
Yes. Business succession planning can be integrated into estate plans to align ownership transfer with family goals and regulatory compliance. This may involve buy-sell agreements, continuity planning, and governance documents that support a smooth transition of leadership and assets while preserving business value.
Funding a trust means transferring assets into its ownership or designating retirement accounts, life insurance, and other resources to be managed by the trust. Proper funding is essential; without it, a trust may exist as a paper instrument. Our team guides asset transfers, designation updates, and funding sequencing.
Healthcare decisions are governed by advance directives and medical powers of attorney. These documents specify treatment preferences, designate decision-makers, and outline end-of-life choices. We also help implement living wills, ensuring medical teams and families understand your wishes clearly.
Yes. Life events such as marriage, divorce, birth, or death often require updates to wills, trusts, guardianship provisions, and beneficiary designations. Regular reviews ensure documents reflect current circumstances, asset values, and goals, reducing risk and improving the resilience of your plan over time.
To start with Hatcher Legal in Severn, contact our office to schedule an initial consultation. We will listen to your goals, explain options, and outline a practical plan with a realistic timeline. From there, we prepare and refine documents to meet your needs and ensure compliant execution.
