People are faced with legal questions and issues everyday. Most people have no idea where to begin to get those answers. Many do not feel comfortable with their local attorney choices. Others cannot fit a visit to a local attorney’s office into their time crunched schedule. This is precisely why Hessler Legal was formed.
Hessler Legal is family focused and a down to earth provider that understands the challenges of today's busy lifestyle. By raising three kids, all in sports and other activities, we know first-hand how valuable your time is.
Starting in 1999 from their home in northern Indiana, Hessler Legal first supplied services to family and friends facing legal issues. Those services included establishing a new business, estate planning, and providing answers to general legal questions. Over time, demand for legal work began to take shape and more people throughout Indiana needed our services. In late 2005 Hessler Legal was born.
Today, Hessler Legal provides legal work for individuals and businesses throughout the state of Indiana and nationwide by meeting clients when and where they feel comfortable. By establishing a relationship in the comfort of their surroundings, the client builds a trust with Hessler Legal as they work through their legal concerns.
Hessler Legal headquartered in central Indiana. Its founder, Jason R. Hessler J.D., CFP®, has been working with clients since 1999 and founded his legal practice in late 2005.
Jason is a graduate of Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis and Purdue University. Jason is also a decorated veteran of the Indiana Air National Guard, receiving awards from the 8th Air Force and then governor Frank O’Bannon.
Serious injuries change lives. The road to recovery is often long and difficult. It can provide great peace of mind to have an attorney's help along the way to ensure your rights are being protected.
A comprehensive estate plan could contain a will, trust, power of attorney, and/or living will. Contact Hessler Legal to determine which documents will meet your estate planning needs.
We can help individuals establish corporations or business entities to promote their services while at the same time, limiting their personal liabilities.
While many personal injury cases are ultimately negotiated to settlement, it's wise to start your case with an attorney with proven trial court experience and a track record of results. The Indiana personal injury lawyers at Hessler Legal Group can work to successfully reach a settlement for your claim or go to trial for you.
At Hessler Legal Group, we are committed to helping injured people obtain the compensation they need and deserve. If you or a loved one was injured by the negligent or reckless actions of another, our Indiana personal injury attorneys can help.
Contact our law office to schedule a free consultation. We handle all personal injury and wrongful death cases on a contingency fee basis so you pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover money for you.
Our Indiana personal injury attorneys understand what you are going through. Having family members gone through personal injury case makes your legal problem our legal problem. We have years of experience finding compensation for people who have suffered catastrophic injuries due to:
Whether your accident resulted in a traumatic brain injury (TBI), a spinal cord injury, severe burns or broken bones, our firm has the experience and resources necessary to investigate and prove your case.
Hessler Legal Group may work with accident reconstruction experts, private investigators, engineers or other experts to understand how the incident occurred and caused your injuries. We work with medical experts, economists, life-care planners, and rehabilitation experts to gain a full understanding of the impact your injuries will have on your life. Then we develop an effective case for the insurance company or the jury.
Children are more susceptible to injuries than adults, particularly dog bites, injuries from dangerous toys or playground equipment, and swimming pool accidents. The financial costs of a life-altering injury to a child will be significant. Because you have only one chance to make a financial recovery, it's important to take the long-term view, considering all the services your child needs now, what he or she will need as he or she grows, and the financial costs of long-term care.
A comprehensive estate plan contains any or all of the following four documents. Contact Hessler Legal to determine which documents will meet your estate planning needs. The vast experience of our attorneys and our understanding of tax law and asset protection strategies allow us to develop effective estate plans that minimize the impact of estate tax and probate costs.
A will is a legal document that states how an individual chooses to distribute what they own after they are gone. For those individuals without a WILL, the state will provide one for you.
A trust is a legal document that states how an individual chooses to distribute what they own when they are gone. A trust is different from a will for many reasons, primarily because it is private, allows you to control some assets after you pass and can ultimately save your family money.
Today, a power of attorney has become more important than a will or trust. The power of attorney has many different forms; including a general (durable) power of attorney and a limited power of attorney, which is usually for financial and health care decision making.
A living will is different than a last will and testament above. The living will is a statutory document that allows an individual to determine their health care with respect to life support activities. Essentially, the living will establishes your death bed wishes.
With estate planning comes tax planning. It is important to understand what issues a taxpayer needs to be aware of when dealing with various federal, state and local taxes. At the same time an individual needs to know what taxes are applicable to them and how they will affect their long term financial goals. All these questions can be answered by one of our tax professionals.
From contracts and business litigation to new business formation, the Central Indiana business law attorneys at Hessler Legal Group are dedicated to helping central Indiana businesses succeed. Our attorneys bring a remarkable wealth of experience and breadth of knowledge to the practice of business law.
As Indiana business law attorneys, we essentially act as in-house counsel for small and mid-size business throughout Indiana. We have clients as far north as Elkhart, south to Evansville and all areas in between. Business clients include physicians, dentists and other health care providers with private practices as well as manufacturers and financial management companies. Our experience gives our clients the same competitive advantage as large national corporations. However, our dedication to meeting the unique needs of our business clients sets us apart.
Our Indiana business law attorneys are able to provide informed, insightful legal advice and representation across a wide range of business matters:
The answer is….it depends. A trust is an estate planning vehicle that allows you to pass on your assets without going through the timely court process called probate. If assets are held in trust, those assets pass to the beneficiary as soon as possible depending on the terms of the trust.
A will is nothing more than your wishes to be carried out at your death. The same can be done in trust. However, the differences can be significant. A will is public document that all can see. Filed in the local court, beneficiaries and lay persons can see what you decided to do at your death. With a trust, you can protect your privacy, distribute assets in a much more timely fashion (sometime months sooner) and avoid federal estate taxes.
If you die without a will, or “intestate" in Indiana, your assets will be divided amongst your immediate family members according to Indiana statute. As I often say, you never die without a will. Either you wrote one or the state provides one for you. This could mean unintended persons receiving money from your estate or unintended consequences for you family.
In Indiana, you should make a valid will if you are at least 18 and of sound mind whether you think you have anything to give away or not. The will must be in writing or typed, then signed by you or by another individual in your presence and at your direction. Your will must be signed in front of two or more witnesses. It makes sense to consult with Hessler Legal to have a qualified attorney draft your will. You don't want to make costly mistakes or accidentally not accomplish what you intended.
The answer is no if properly planned. Both life insurance and IRA assets are contractual obligations that fall outside your will if you properly designate a beneficiary. You should check and make sure that each life insurance policy and IRA has beneficiaries listed and they are up to date.
The power of attorney document “POA” is a document that allows another person to stand in your shoes and make decisions on your behalf. There are several different types of power of attorney documents and you need to fully understand them before ever signing one.
Note: NEVER sign a general power of attorney document without consulting with an independent attorney beforehand.
A valid Indiana Will directs the personal representative or executor on how to distribute your estate after you die. A valid Indiana Living Will document allows you to declare your wishes regarding the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures under certain circumstances in Indiana.
The power of attorney document “POA” is a In Indiana, you can consult with an attorney to draft an Indiana Living Will to prevent life sustaining procedures or you can direct your Health Care Power of Attorney to make those decisions for you. Either way you go, you must make your wishes known unequivocally.
Note: I have had numerous problems with health care organizations (hospitals, assisted living etc.) not honoring these documents. Make sure that your legal representative forces these organizations to recognize the documents. Consult with Hessler Legal if you have this problem.
When making a will, people don’t plan for the unexpected. Too often people never contemplate what will happen when the unforeseen happens. Consulting with a qualified attorney can open your eyes to these unforeseen scenarios. When it comes to power of attorney or living will documents, people don’t see the need. However, the power of attorney or living will can have greater effect on your estate plan than a will or trust.
The quick internet or box will is good for some, but consulting with Hessler Legal after drafting can separate an Estate plan from just some documents.
Most likely yes. In a situation where one exceeds the federal estate tax credit or has complicated assets such as business interests or property, it pays to consult with Hessler Legal. With far too many scenarios to discuss, Hessler Legal can consult and draft as estate plan tailored to your needs. Many options are available for all different level of interests from charitable giving to passing on you assets to family members. Consulting with Hessler Legal is essential when persons have considerable net worth.
My business model is unique in that I don’t have the overhead of most law firms, no marble, and no skyscraping office complex to fund. I provide services to individuals based on need. From handling a simple will and POA documents to a more complex trust relationship we charge $400/hour for consulting and a fixed price for drafting wills and estate plans. After our first meeting, I will evaluate your needs and return to you a fixed price for our services. At that time, Hessler Legal will have you, the client, sign an agreement and begin work on your lifetime wishes.
Email: jason@hesslerlegal.com
Phone: 574-575-2712
