Skip to content

Arkansas Estate Planning Law Firm in Springdale

Northwest Arkansas Wills & Trusts

Show Your Family How Much You Care

Wills and Trusts

Feel secure, maintain control, and have peace of mind by Protecting you, your loved ones, and assets the best way possible

Court Room

Without a Plan You and Your Family Lose

  • You lose control of your property and decisions to the State and a Judge
  • You and your family lose their privacy
  • Your family loses control. They can’t avoid Probate. Probate is a financial and emotional hardship your family doesn’t deserve
  • You lose control of how your property is distributed. The State and a Judge make the decisions
  • If you are incapacitated, you lose control of who makes decisions
  • You lose control over your healthcare decisions

It doesn’t have to be that way

Avoid the Mess of Probate for Your Family’s Peace of Mind

Effective estate planning saves your family from the headaches, expenses, and anguish of probate, eases their lives, and gives you peace of mind

Protect Your Home From the Nursing Home and Probate With an Estate Plan

Don’t give it all to a nursing home. Don’t lose a big chunk to probate. Know somebody you know and trust will be in charge when you can’t be.

Rest Easy & Stop Worrying When Your Estate Plan is Done

Your plan will give you peace of mind and confidence that you’ve done all you can to protect you, your family, and your money the best way possible.

We Get it…Wills and Trusts Seems Hard and Intimidating so We’re Here to Help

Estate planning can be intimidating and seem difficult. Not only are you forced to think about what happens when you die, but you also have to make potentially family and life altering decisions.

The good news is — it doesn’t have to be this way!

With a little help, you can be sure that your assets go to whom you want, when you want, and in the way that you want. I offer a free 15-minute call just to get to know each other and Discover if … and how … I can help you. Book a call now.

Wills and Trusts
Gary DeWitt Attorney At Law

 Your Guide to Success

I know first hand how hard it is to lose somebody and the headaches that follow. I know the importance of having a plan in place.

My father passed away of a sudden heart attack in 2010. Because of this, mom and I had to take the family ranch through probate – for the third time since 1975.  This was an extremely long and stressful process and it is the last thing that anyone wants to go through while they are mourning.

I decided then and there a better way must exist. And it does. That better way is an effective estate plan.

I’ve helped 1000’s of families avoid probate and other legal messes.

John Krueger
May 4, 2023.
Gary is excellent. I highly recommend him to anyone.
William Smith
April 3, 2023.
Heard radio ad several years ago for DeWitt firm. Recently decided wisdom of setting up a trust for our estate. DeWitt has been most helpful, thorough and fee is very reasonable. We highly recommend.
Robert Shipe
March 30, 2023.
Gary was very easy to work with and walked me through the probate process. I live out of state and was able to handle everything remotely. Excellent communication and quickly answered any questions I had. Highly recommend!
Bill Durham
March 16, 2023.
Great people! Very experienced with constant communication. I highly recommend the DeWitt Law Firm.
Nannie 6
February 9, 2023.
The DeWitt firm helped us through this difficult time of dealing with the probate process of our deceased son's estate. We appreciate his thoroughness and effiecency during this time....communication and helping to guide us through this has been key. We appreciate Gary in his expertise of all of our legal affairs.
Arkansas Fitness Network
February 7, 2023.
I am extremely pleased with my experience working with DeWitt Law Firm during a difficult time. The team, led by Gary DeWitt, was by my side before and after the passing of family members. They took special care in ensuring that not only was our estate protected, but our family was made comfortable while living. Their professionalism, compassion, and expertise made the process seamless and stress-free. Gary and his team went above and beyond to make sure our family was taken care of during a challenging time. They were knowledgeable, responsive, and always available to answer any questions we had. The peace of mind that comes with having a solid estate plan in place is priceless, and I will be eternally grateful for the support DeWitt Law Firm provided us. I highly recommend DeWitt Law Firm to anyone in need of estate planning services. Whether you're just starting to think about estate planning or you're ready to update your current plan, Gary and his team are here to help. They truly care about their clients and their families, and I couldn't be happier with my experience working with them. Danny White
Martha Carson
January 24, 2023.
They are the BEST !!!!
Carl Wilmsen
January 24, 2023.
Over the years, we have engaged attorneys to help navigate the legal process for various reasons. In the last three years, we have had to engage estate attorneys in two different states to assist with probate matters. Not being from Arkansas, we didn't know of any attorneys and were given a referral to Gary DeWitt. Wow! What a different experience for us. Gary is punctual, friendly, responsive, family-oriented, kind-hearted, and very knowledgeable. We are forever grateful for the referral to his law firm. From our view, when we have a legal question, we want answers as soon as possible, but most attorneys get to you when they can. Gary, however, makes you feel as if you are the only client he has - although we know this not to be the case. He truly does respond quickly to questions and goes - in my mind - above and beyond. It was over the holidays when I needed a letter to move things along with an insurance company. Gary was out of the office, but still replied and was able to assist us with the letter. No, I didn't really expect him to meet my timeline, but we were certainly grateful he went above expectations to get this letter to us! If you have any doubts about engaging Gary's firm, please don't. You will be happy working with him! Go meet with him. You will see for yourself he was made from a unique mold. I have not experienced an attorney like him in all my years! This is not a paid review. Just a review to motivate others like me to pick a good attorney!
The Best Wills and Trusts Attorney

The Best Wills and Trusts Attorney

The Best Elder Law

The Best Elder Law

Wills and Trusts

Guiding You Step-by-Step: Success System

Listen

Book a Call. Have your first meeting with us, talk with the attorney about your needs and goals, then talk about what plan fits you the best and what the price will be.

Design

We’ll design a plan customized for you and your family. We’ll keep you informed every step of the way. We’ll finish in weeks.

Relax With Peace of Mind

Put your plan into action so you can get back to enjoying the best years of your life.

What Happens Without a Will – Intestate Administration in Arkansas

If you don’t have a Will State law determines what happens to what you had. This process is called “Intestate Administration.” The State has a plan written that says who gets what, when, how, and how much! The Judge controls most of “Intestate Administration” following state law. If you only have a Last Will and Testament your family faces the ordeal of Probate. Probate is much like “Intestate Administration” except you leave a list of who gets what, when, how, and how much. You also use your Last Will to nominate who will raise minor children or care for disabled children. Here are the basics of what happens without a Will in Arkansas Probate Court:

  • Your spouse gets 1/3rd of everything other than real estate
  • Your spouse gets 1/3rd of the real estate for life (a “life estate”)
  • Your children get the other 2/3rds

Types of Trusts

The main thing to remember is that trusts are used to protect family, protect assets, and avoid probate.

Revocable Trust

This trust is setup during your lifetime. Under the terms of the Trust, you can change or even revoke the trust while living and competent. These trusts do not protect assets from Medicaid or help you qualify for Medicaid. The main purposes of a revocable trust are to avoid probate, provide for asset management, and protect your children from their problems later.

Irrevocable Trust

Generally an irrevocable trust cannot be changed. Once assets go in, they stay in. If the grantor and ALL the beneficiaries agree, the terms can be changed in Arkansas. These trusts DO protect assets against Medicaid. BUT you need 5 years for this protection to be absolute. Until then, Medicaid will impose a penalty period for the transfer to the irrevocable trust.

How to Get Started

Book Your 15-Minute Call Now

Estate Planning Bella Vista, Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, and Fayetteville Arkansas.