The legal documents and tax decisions that determine who controls your affairs if you can't, and who receives what when you're gone — a will, a trust, a power of attorney, and healthcare directives, built together instead of bought as a template off a website.
Estate planning is the process of legally documenting who manages your finances and health decisions if you're incapacitated, and who inherits your property when you die — typically a will, a trust, a financial power of attorney, and a healthcare directive, all drafted to work together rather than as separate, conflicting documents. A plan built by a CPA who is also an attorney adds one more piece most estate planning-only practices skip: minimizing what the estate owes in taxes before it's ever distributed.
Most people need both a will and a trust. A will names guardians for minor children and directs anything not already in a trust, but still requires probate. A trust, properly funded — meaning assets are actually retitled into it — lets real property, investment accounts, and business interests pass to heirs without going through probate at all. A power of attorney and a healthcare directive are different: both are active during your life, covering who manages your finances or makes medical decisions if you can't.
Without a will or funded trust, a Nevada estate goes through probate — a court-supervised process to identify heirs and distribute assets — unless it qualifies for a shortcut. Nevada law allows an estate worth up to $150,000 to be set aside without formal administration, and a surviving spouse can claim up to $150,000 through a simplified affidavit; any other heir is limited to $25,000 before formal probate is required. Most Las Vegas homeowners clear that $150,000 threshold on the house alone, so the plan isn't really optional once you own real property.
Estate planning and asset protection overlap but aren't the same thing — a basic will or revocable trust does little to shield assets from creditors, while irrevocable trusts and entity structuring, built alongside the estate plan, are what actually create that separation. A CPA attorney can draft the will and trust and structure the asset protection and tax strategy in the same engagement, so both pieces reference the same numbers and the same family situation instead of two advisors drafting around assumptions neither confirmed.
Most families won't owe federal estate tax — the federal exclusion for 2026 is $15,000,000 per person, and Nevada has no separate state estate or inheritance tax. For most families the real planning work isn't dodging estate tax; it's avoiding probate, naming the right decision-makers, and, for business owners and real estate investors, coordinating the estate plan with the same tax strategies covered in advanced tax planning.
Every engagement is tailored to your situation. Below are the specific areas we cover.
Establishing a trust — and properly funding it, meaning assets are actually retitled into it — allows real property, investment accounts, and business interests to pass to heirs without probate, tailored to your family's structure and goals.
A well-crafted will names guardians for minor children and directs any assets not otherwise titled, guaranteeing your estate is distributed as you desire — though it still passes through probate, unlike a funded trust.
Lets someone you choose manage your finances — pay bills, access accounts, sign on your behalf — if you become unable to do it yourself, without a court having to appoint a guardian first.
Naming guardians for minor children who are both willing and logistically able to act, with a first and second choice for each role named in writing, so a family disagreement doesn't become a court filing.
Designating trusted individuals for health and financial decisions before they're needed — chosen for their ability to act on short notice, not just their relationship to you.
Coordinating the estate plan with the same tax strategies used in advanced tax planning — most families won't owe federal estate tax given the $15,000,000 per-person exclusion, but avoiding probate and planning ahead still preserves wealth across generations.
Speak with an attorney who is also a licensed CPA. Your consultation is confidential.
From your first call to long-term strategy, here is exactly what to expect when you work with us.
We review your family situation, assets, and goals. No obligation — just clarity on what a plan should include.
We analyze your current documents (or lack of them) alongside your tax situation to identify gaps and opportunities.
You receive a written plan covering trusts, wills, directives, and tax strategy — built to work together.
We prepare and execute your documents, then revisit the plan as your life and the law change.
Lenny Whiting
Admitted 2012 · NV Bar #14822
I founded CPA Attorney LLC to fill the gap between accounting and legal strategy. With dual credentials as a licensed CPA and Nevada attorney, I help clients keep more of what they earn — legally and permanently.
Full bioAnswers to the questions we hear most often about estate planning.
Estate planning documents who manages your finances and health decisions if you're incapacitated, and who inherits your property when you die — typically a will, a trust, a power of attorney, and a healthcare directive.
Most people need both. A will names guardians and directs assets not otherwise titled; a funded trust lets other assets skip probate entirely.
The estate goes through probate unless it qualifies for a simplified process — Nevada allows estates up to $150,000 to be set aside without formal administration, and surviving spouses can use a $150,000 affidavit; other heirs are capped at $25,000.
A basic will or revocable trust doesn't. Asset protection requires separate tools — irrevocable trusts and entity structuring — built alongside the estate plan.
Almost certainly not. The 2026 federal exclusion is $15,000,000 per person, and Nevada has no separate state estate tax.
Have questions or need legal assistance? Contact us today — our team is here to help. Whether by phone, email, or through our online form, we're ready to listen and provide the support you need.
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