A well drafted and implemented estate plan can accomplish a wide range of inter-connected goals that go way beyond simply planning for the distribution of your estate assets after you are gone. Knowing that, selecting an estate planning attorney to help you wish that plan should be done with care. At Frank & Kraft we are committed to helping you create a Lebanon, Indiana estate plan that accomplishes all of those goals, including the protection of both your material wealth and your loved ones.
Lebanon, Indiana
Located in central Indiana, approximately 30 miles northwest of the capital city of Indianapolis, you will find Lebanon, Indiana. Covering almost 16 square miles with a population of 15,792 at the 2010 Census, Lebanon serves as the seat of Boone County.
The town of Lebanon was founded by two young, prominent, Indianapolis men, General James Perry Drake and Colonel George L. Kinnard and was officially established on April 30, 1830. Drake and Kinnard, being the shrewd developers and speculators that they were, learned of the planned organization of Boone County. Thinking ahead, the two purchased three tracts of land near the center of the proposed county, operating on the assumption that the new county seat would be located on their newly purchased land. To their dismay, Jamestown was originally designated as the county seat; however, the city’s location in the extreme southwest corner of the county made it inconvenient for county residents and a less than ideal location for the county seat. Fortunately for Drake and Kinnard, in 1832 the Indiana General Assembly agreed that the county seat should be within two miles of the county’s geographic center. To ensure that their property would be selected as the county seat this time around, Drake and Kinnard donated every third lot, the town square, and forty acres of additional adjacent land to the county as well as agreeing to donate the bricks and shingles for the original courthouse. Not surprisingly, the county seat was moved to Lebanon shortly thereafter.
Lebanon was named by Adam French, one of the town’s first commissioners. As the story goes, French felt that a cluster of hickory trees in the town reminded him of the Cedars of Lebanon from the Bible, prompting him to shout to a group of onlookers, “The name of this town shall be Lebanon.”
Visitors to Lebanon don’t want to miss a tour of the Historic Cragun House. Built in 1893, it was once the home of Strange Nathaniel Cragun and his family who travelled the world. Today, their house stands as a living history museum full of the pieces they collected from their travels as well as original furniture from the dwelling. The home also serves as the headquarters of the Boone County Historical Society and is registered with the National Register of Historic Places.
Frank & Kraft in the Lebanon, Indiana Community
Given the importance of the finished product, care should be taken throughout every step of the estate planning process, starting with your choice of an estate planning attorney to work with you on your plan. The estate planning attorneys at Frank & Kraft are dedicated to helping people just like you with their estate planning needs. We look forward to the opportunity to help you create a Lebanon, Indiana estate plan that reaches all your goals and addresses all your needs.
For your estate plan to be successful it needs to be an ongoing venture that is continuously reviewed and updated to reflect changes that occur in your life. Your initial estate planning needs may be as simplistic as ensuring that you don’t leave behind an intestate estate should something happen to you. For that, a basic Last Will and Testament is sufficient. It won’t be long, however, before you outgrow that simple plan. Marriage and/or the birth of a child will cause you to expand your estate planning needs and goals. Protecting your spouse and/or child will likely dictate changes to your plan, such as the addition of a trust to protect your minor child’s inheritance. Incapacity planning will also need to become part of your overall plan. The growth of your estate itself may also require you to incorporate asset protection and tax avoidance tools and strategies into your plan. Additional goals such as probate avoidance may also become important to you. Middle age should have you contemplating your retirement years and the high cost of long-term care. That, in turn, may dictate the need to add Medicaid planning to your estate plan to ensure that you can afford the cost of that care. If you have strong beliefs regarding end of life medical treatment and/or the disposition of your body after your death, you will also want to ensure that those beliefs are honored by including funeral planning and the appropriate advance directives in your comprehensive estate plan.
At Frank & Kraft we are committed to helping you protect the people and things that matter to you through the creation of a lifelong partnership that focuses on fulfilling all your estate planning needs.
Contact Us
If you have additional estate planning questions, or you are ready to get started on your plan, contact an experienced Zionsville, Indiana estate planning attorney at Frank & Kraft by calling (317) 684-1100 to schedule a consultation.
