Chesapeake Wills & Trusts

Relax Knowing Your Home and Life Savings are Protected

Estate Planning, Probate, and Medicaid Crisis Can All Feel Scary

We know considering your own, or a loved one’s, end of life can be daunting. It is important to be sure your home and life savings are protected.

Leaving it to chance can risk…

Defaulting to the governments plan for your assets

Increased family turmoil

Your assets being left to unwanted individuals

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We Take the Fear Out of the Process so You Can Relax

Whether you’re planning ahead or dealing with the probate of a deceased loved one’s assets, we simplify the process so you achieve the best possible outcome.

Client-Focused

You deserve an attorney who truly listens and works in your best interest. We’re always here for you.

Locally Rooted

For over 20 years, we have been committed to serving Anne Arundel, Maryland and surrounding communities.

A Step Beyond

Get more than just the right paperwork. We design a plan to make life easier for you and your family.

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What our clients are saying

Greg Jimeno and his staff were delightful to work with and extremely competent and thorough. [We}heartily recommend Chesapeake Wills and Trust for anyone hoping to make their future secure.

G.C. – Client

We had a revocable trust drawn up. Greg Jimeno did an excellent job. Answered all of our questions thoroughly. Highly recommend Chesapeake Wills and Trusts.

C.C. – Client

Jimeno is a knowledgeable and informative attorney. He doesn’t sugar coat your situation. You’ll know where you stand on each issue. One of the best to have on your side.

C.A.K. – Client

Client names redacted for their privacy. Testimonials were submitted by clients to our online location and legal listings.

Find Peace of Mind Knowing Your Home and Life Savings are Protected

Here’s how it works:

1. Hire Our Team

We review your assets and understand your wishes.

2. Customize Your Plan

You choose a custom plan that meets your needs.

3. Exhale

We execute your plan so you can relax knowing everything is protected.

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Maryland Estate Planning, Probate, and Medicaid Crisis Attorneys

At Chesapeake Wills and Trusts, we know you want to protect your home and life savings. To do so, you need a clear plan in place for what happens to all of it at the end of your life or in the event you are no longer able to care for it all. The problem is, considering your own end of life can be uncomfortable, but avoiding it can lead to more stress and grief for your loved ones.

We believe estate planning doesn’t have to be scary. Our team has worked with many people just like you to give them peace of mind in knowing their home and life savings are protected and their loved ones won’t be overburdened.

Here is how we do it.

First, hire our team. We will review your assets and understand your wishes.
Second, get a customized plan for your estate that meets your needs.
Last, we execute the plan on your behalf so you can relax knowing everything is taken care of.

Call today and speak with a member of our time. Find peace knowing your wishes will be honored. Don’t add extra stress to your loved ones’ lives by leaving your estate up to chance or a default government plan.

If your loved one’s estate is already in probate, we’re here to help simplify the process and guide you toward the best conclusion possible for you and your family.

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How We Serve Our Clients Anne Arundel County and All Across Maryland

Estate Planning

Planning for your own end of life, or a situation where due to disability you are unable to manage your assets, isn’t exactly comfortable. However, putting off planning can lead to more stress for your loved ones and unnecessary uncertainty around what happens to your estate.

Trusts

Trusts are an estate planning tool we often use for asset protection, providing a management care plan for your assets, and to help your family avoid the Maryland probate process.

Learn More About Trusts.

Living Wills

A living will is a legal document that lays out what medical decisions you would like to be made in the event you are unable to communicate your wishes. This could include life-saving measures, pain management, organ donation, and more.

Learn More About Living Wills in Maryland

Probate

Whether your loved one has a clear estate plan, or no plan at all, the probate process adds unneeded stress to your life during a difficult time. Not knowing how the courts will distribute your family member’s assets can feel scary.

We believe everyone deserves the time they need to grieve the loss of a loved one and probate shouldn’t get in the way.

Adult Guardianship

A guardianship is the legal process used by the courts to appoint someone to make legal and financial decisions for people who cannot do it for themselves due to a physical or mental disability. If a guardian is appointed, the person subject to the guardianship loses the ability to make decisions for themselves for as long as they remain disabled.

Learn More About Adult Guardianship in Maryland

Asset Protection

Creditors may come after your home if you file for bankruptcy or if they win a lawsuit against you. If you believe this may be a possibility, we can help you put an asset protection plan in place that protects your family home. We can explain to you how an irrevocable asset protection trust works, and what this means for making future decisions about your property.

Learn More About Asset Protection in Maryland

Last Will and Testament

A will, sometimes called a last will and testament, is a legal document that tells your family and the state your intentions for your assets after your death. We recommend all our clients draft a will. This is true no matter how small your estate or whether or not you use other estate planning tools to distribute your assets.

Learn More About Creating a Will in Maryland

Medicaid Crisis

A common misconception after a loved one enters a nursing home is that it’s too late to protect their assets, or that they will have to spend their life savings before they can apply for Medicaid assistance.

It's not too late! Our Medicaid Crisis Lawyers can help you protect your loved one’s assets and work to make them Medicaid eligible even after they enter a nursing home.

Learn More About Medicaid Crisis Lawyers

Powers of Attorney

We create and use these legal documents for various purposes for the estate planning process. The two most common are financial power of attorneys and health care power of attorneys.

Learn More About Powers of Attorney in Maryland

Chesapeake Care Plan

As life happens - moving, marriage, divorce, children, and many others, we created the Chesapeake Care Plan to keep your life on track. It will work as intended as you need it most. Better yet, by enrolling in the program you will get a wide range of services at a fraction of the cost versus individual out of pocket payment.

Learn More About the Chesapeake Care Plan

Elder Law

3 in 4 senior adults over the age of 65 will require long-term nursing care at some point in their life. Our Elder Law Lawyers offer estate planning, Medicaid crisis response, and other services to help senior adults plan ahead or respond to a crisis in health requiring nursing care.

Learn More About Elder Law in Maryland

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The Chesapeake Promise

When working with our team, you can expect us to:

Treat you like our own family

Always explain the next steps

Keep you in the loop

Work for your best interests

How to Protect Your Home and Life Savings in Maryland book cover

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Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to a Few Common Questions We Hear From Our Clients:

Is it better to have a will or a trust?

Whether to plan with a will or a trust is an individual decision that is best made after consulting with an attorney. Some clients like the simplicity of creating a will, but others determine a trust is required to ensure their family avoids turning to the court system to distribute assets after death. Trusts can also protect assets from creditors and protect assets from the high costs of nursing home care.

Should I designate a power of attorney?

The most overlooked part of the estate plan is the appointment of a financial and medical Power of Attorney. The appointment of a Power of Attorney could prevent your family from the need to obtain a potentially expensive and time-consuming court-supervised guardianship over you at some point in your lifetime. Be careful as not all power of attorney documents are alike. In order for your Power of Attorney to take all necessary action on your behalf if you become disabled, proper provisions must be included in Power of Attorney documents.

What is a living will or advanced directive?

A living will and an advanced directive are extremely important parts of your overall estate plan. An advanced directive is the name of a document that encompasses both the appointment of the health care agent and the living will. The living will sets forth your end of life treatment preferences. The Maryland Living Will form provides selections should you be diagnosed in one of three conditions: 1) terminal condition; 2) persistent vegetative state; 3) end-stage condition. Your family will thank you for selecting the person to make health care decisions for you AND selecting the treatment you choose to receive if death is imminent.

Should I avoid probate in Maryland?

Probate is the court’s process for winding up your financial affairs after death and distributing your remaining assets to your heirs. The court will need to appoint a person, known as the personal representative, to be in control of your estate following your death. Until a personal representative is appointed, your probate assets will remain in limbo. Your personal representative will need to abide by the court’s rules and submit timely accounts and inventories. Finally, everything filed with the court during probate, including your will and list of assets and debts, will be a matter of public records and such personal information could be obtained by anyone. One way to avoid probate is to create a living trust.

How do I protect my assets before filing for Medicaid?

Protecting assets from the high costs of nursing home care is often one of the most important issues people deal with during their estate planning. Some people choose to plan ahead by establishing irrevocable trusts in advance of entering a nursing home. However, even if you or a family member is already in a nursing home IT’S NOT TOO LATE to protect assets and apply for Medicaid. There are several asset protection strategies that can be implemented, and an experienced attorney can provide assistance with these strategies.

How do I set up adult guardianship for my disabled parent?

In order to establish a guardianship over an adult you must file a “Petition for Guardianship” in the county in which the person resides. The petition for guardianship must be accompanied by medical proof of disability. Once the petition for guardianship is filed, the person who is the subject to the guardianship, now referred to as an “alleged disabled person,” will have an attorney appointed for him or her. In the State of Maryland, a guardianship proceeding is adversarial, meaning that the alleged disabled person could contest the imposition of a guardianship and even demand that the determination of whether to appoint a guardian be brought before a jury.

Will my beneficiaries' inheritance be taxed in Maryland?

In Maryland, there are 3 potential ways an inheritance could be taxed: 1) Federal estate tax; 2) Maryland estate tax; 3) Maryland inheritance tax. The Federal and Maryland estate taxes are based on the overall value of your estate and the Maryland inheritance tax is determined by who receives the inheritance. If the value on your estate is less than the Federal and Maryland estate tax limits, then there will not be estate tax imposed on the inheritance. If, however, an inheritance is left to someone who is not a lineal descendant (child, grandchild, etc.) then a Maryland inheritance tax could be imposed.

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Complete the form below and someone from our team will be in touch shortly or call now at 410-590-1900.