Legacy Planning Attorneys Serving Columbia, Rockville, and Annapolis, Maryland

Legacy planning goes beyond distributing assets. It’s about shaping how you’ll be remembered, supporting the people and causes that matter to you, and creating legal and personal frameworks that reflect your values.

At Elville & Associates, we assist Maryland families, retirees, and professionals with comprehensive legacy planning services that support financial continuity, charitable giving, and family stewardship. From our offices in Columbia, Rockville, and Annapolis, we help clients build thoughtful, legally sound plans that reflect their unique priorities.

Ready to schedule your confidential consultation? Contact us online or call us at 443-339-5638 to connect with our skilled team!

What Does Legacy Planning Include?

Legacy planning is an extension of estate planning—but it often includes deeper considerations. While estate planning focuses on asset transfer, legacy planning may also include:

• Intentional charitable giving
• Supporting multiple generations
• Personal values or ethical directives
• Instructions beyond legal mandates (like ethical wills or letters of wishes)
• Succession frameworks for businesses and family-held entities
• Education or inheritance guidance for younger beneficiaries

For a broader look at estate strategy, visit our estate planning overview.

How We Help Clients Define and Document Their Legacy

We start by learning your story. From there, our team collaborates with your existing advisors—such as financial professionals or accountants—to develop a legacy structure that meets your long-term goals. That may involve:

• Reviewing and updating wills, trusts, and beneficiary designations
• Developing trust structures to guide how wealth is used
• Crafting charitable instruments or donor-advised fund strategies
• Facilitating family conversations around inheritance values

Learn more about our trust planning services and how they support multi-generational planning.

Who Can Benefit from Legacy Planning?

Legacy planning is valuable for individuals and couples who want to make their mark in a way that goes beyond financial transfers. This may include:

• Parents and grandparents preparing to transfer wealth
• Families with philanthropic goals
• Business owners considering generational transitions
• Individuals with specific cultural, educational, or religious wishes
• Clients interested in structured giving or family foundations

We often work with clients who are seeking to coordinate personal goals with estate, tax, and charitable strategies. To explore how tax issues may impact your legacy, visit our page on tax controversy matters.

Legacy Planning and Charitable Giving in Maryland

Maryland residents have access to multiple charitable giving strategies through legacy planning. These may include:

• Charitable remainder trusts
• Bequests within wills
• Private foundations
• Lifetime giving with retained control
• Planning for required minimum distributions (RMDs) from retirement accounts

These tools can be integrated with your estate plan to maximize both impact and control. For individuals who prioritize giving, legacy planning provides the legal architecture to make those values last well beyond their lifetime.

FAQs About Legacy Planning in Maryland

What is the difference between legacy planning and estate planning?

Estate planning handles legal documents and asset distribution. Legacy planning focuses more broadly on the long-term meaning of those choices, incorporating family values, charitable intent, and generational stewardship.

Do I need legacy planning if I already have a will?

Possibly. A will can direct assets, but legacy planning can align how and why those assets are used—especially in complex or value-driven family situations.

Is legacy planning only for high-net-worth individuals?

No. While it is often used by individuals with significant assets, anyone who wants to direct how their values, family ties, or charitable interests continue can benefit.

Planning for What You Leave Behind—Not Just What You Leave

Legacy planning helps you shape the story that continues after you're gone. It’s a way to protect loved ones, honor values, and support causes that carry your vision forward. At Elville & Associates, we support individuals and families across Maryland—whether in Columbia, Rockville, or Annapolis—who want to build more than a legal plan.

Contact us online or call us at 443-339-5638 to begin a conversation about your legacy.