New Hampshire Estate Planning Attorney

Experienced in trusts, estates, probate & guardianships

Your “estate” is the total of all your assets, including your land, house, bank accounts, and any stocks and bonds. A well-written estate plan ensures your assets are distributed to heirs the way you want them.

You may think of an “estate plan” as a single, all-encompassing document, but it’s really a combination of documents (such as a will) and tools (such as a conservation easement) that achieves your goals when implemented together.

Whether you are looking for a simple will or more complex estate planning, routine estate administration or representation in a probate dispute involving a declining adult or following the death of a loved one, or assistance navigating the complex world of Medicaid long-term care eligibility, our experienced lawyers and staff are available to provide you with guidance and high-quality representation.

Why choose Shaheen & Gordon for your estate planning needs

At Shaheen & Gordon, P.A., we take a personalized approach to every case, ensuring that your estate planning needs are met with care, strategy, and precision. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions—your goals, concerns, and unique circumstances shape our legal strategy.

Our trusted New Hampshire attorneys are committed to excellence and individualized client service. We assess risks and opportunities, develop tailored legal strategies, and adapt as needed to protect your interests.

With attorneys like Benjamin Siracusa Hillman, an elected Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), and our firm’s membership in the New Hampshire Trust Council, you can trust that your estate plan is in experienced hands. Let us help secure your legacy—contact us today.

Proven success in estate & probate litigation

Probate litigation:

We obtained a $160,000 settlement in favor of trust beneficiaries in an action against a trustee for a breach of fiduciary duty.

Resolution for minor in estate case:

We represented a minor beneficiary of an estate against the co-administrators. After trial, the co-administrators were required to refund the estate $25,000 and their administrative fees were disallowed, resulting in a net benefit to the beneficiary of about $40,000.

Successfully defended an attack against a decedent’s last will and testament:

Shaheen & Gordon’s estate and probate department successfully defended an attack against a decedent’s last will and testament, which was held valid after a lengthy will contest where the contestants alleged, but failed to prove, lack of testamentary capacity and undue influence.

Client success stories: Trusted guidance in estate & probate matters

“Many thanks to you (Amanda Casella) and Amanda Steenhuis for a wonderful job and all the great support during a challenging time for my family. You were both very efficient and professional.”

- Liz T.

“I hired Ben Siracusa-Hillman to help me navigate my sister’s estate when she passed suddenly last October. I live in PA and he served as my agent in NH, which saved quite a bit of time and trouble. He explained the process and outlined each step before we made it, and was always available by phone and email when I needed clarification. I would recommend him if you need assistance navigating the legal system after the death of a loved one.”

- Alia S.

“After experiencing a sudden loss to our family, Attorney Siracusa Hillman and his team handled the estate and all of our questions in a most compassionate way during a stressful time. I would highly recommend working with them should the need arise.”

- Kim C.

Comprehensive estate & probate services

Shaheen & Gordon, P.A. is equipped to handle the full range of trust, estate, probate, and guardianship matters, from the simple to the complex, including the following and more:

Wills, trusts & powers of attorney
Asset protection
Probate litigation
Estate & trust administration
Guardianship
Elder law & Medicaid planning
Business succession planning

Wills

A will is the cornerstone of effective estate planning. At Shaheen & Gordon’s New Hampshire estate planning practice, we help clients create comprehensive wills that:

Direct how your property will be distributed after death
Nominate Guardians for minor children
Name Custodians to manage assets for minor beneficiaries
Appoint an Executor to handle your estate
Express your wishes regarding tax obligations

Without a will, state intestacy laws determine distribution regardless of your wishes. Don’t leave your legacy to chance – let Shaheen & Gordon’s experienced New Hampshire estate planning attorneys help you create a will that protects your family and ensures your wishes are honored.

Trusts

We offer various trust solutions to meet your specific needs and shield assets, minimize costs, provide for loved ones, and potentially reduce taxes:

Revocable living trusts allow you to maintain control while avoiding probate and preserving privacy.
Irrevocable trusts (charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, life insurance trusts) are beneficial for tax planning and asset protection.
Special needs trusts preserve government benefit eligibility.

We help New Hampshire residents with complex family situations, substantial assets, or loved ones with special needs determine the most appropriate trust strategy to protect their legacy.

Resource:

Trusts for Disabled Individuals – New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Powers of attorney

A durable power of attorney allows you to choose someone to manage your assets and pay your bills in the event of your disability or incapacity. Otherwise, if you become disabled or incapacitated, someone will have to petition a court to obtain the power to provide these services for you, known as a guardianship.

What are durable powers of attorney for health care and living wills?

A durable power of attorney for health care allows you to retain control over your own medical care during periods of incapacity through the prior designation of an individual to make health care decisions. A living will allows you to direct what measures will or will not be used to prolong your life in circumstances where there is no hope for recovery.

Asset protection

Asset protection is a means of ensuring that your assets are preserved for your benefit during your lifetime, and ultimately transferred to your family members and others you care about. We help you to achieve this goal by setting up simple and more complex trust arrangements, avoiding probate, and minimizing inheritance taxes.

Probate litigation

We handle cases challenging wills, trusts, gifts, and transactions due to incapacity or undue influence, and provide swift intervention when assets are depleted through impaired judgment or exploitation.

Our services include will and trust contests, guardianships and conservatorships, fiduciary duty claims, statutory accounting claims against NH power of attorney agents, fiduciary accounting and removal actions, trust interpretation and modification, common law marriage claims, elder exploitation issues, and partition actions for co-owned real estate disputes.

Our attorneys combine extensive experience with a compassionate understanding of the sensitive family dynamics involved in these matters.

Estate & trust administration

Our attorneys assist personal representatives, executors, and trustees with probate proceedings, asset collection, debt resolution, tax filings, asset distribution, trust funding, and fiduciary accounting. We work efficiently to minimize costs and delays while ensuring all legal obligations are met, providing the knowledge and support needed during this challenging time.

Guardianship

At Shaheen & Gordon, P.A., we help families plan ahead to avoid unnecessary guardianship through durable powers of attorney and healthcare proxies. If no prior planning is in place, we assist in establishing guardianship for incapacitated adults, ensuring compliance with Probate Court requirements.

For minors receiving settlement funds, we help appoint a guardian of the estate and determine whether funds should be held in a guardianship estate, special needs trust, or irrevocable trust. Our attorneys guide guardians through court compliance and financial management.

Elder law & Medicaid planning

Medicaid planning is a form of asset protection planning focused specifically on ensuring the maximum possible preservation of your assets in the event you or your spouse needs nursing home care.

Business succession planning

Family-owned businesses face unique problems due to the complexities of family relationships. Frequently, a family-owned business is an estate’s most valuable asset. Our business and estate planning attorneys work together with families to ensure that a business can continue after the first generation through careful planning.

If you own land, you need an estate plan

Estate planning isn’t just for the wealthy—if you own land, you need a plan to ensure it serves your financial and personal goals while benefiting your heirs. Without a plan, your land may pass based on ownership structure, potentially leading to tax burdens, family disputes, or unintended use of the property.

Land is a unique asset with both financial and emotional value, and each landowner’s situation is different. Some families wish to keep land intact, while others need financial flexibility. A well-crafted estate plan can help preserve family harmony, reduce taxes, and maximize the value of your land.

At Shaheen & Gordon, P.A., we help landowners explore creative solutions to protect their assets and achieve their long-term goals. The earlier you start, the more options you have—contact us today to secure your land’s future.

New Hampshire estate planning FAQ

We are often asked the following questions by prospective clients as they contemplate working with us.

Does everyone need a will?

If you want to ensure that the people you care about inherit your assets, then you should have a will. Otherwise, the government creates an estate plan, called intestacy, for you. People you care about may not inherit your assets under the government-created estate plan.