Creating a comprehensive estate plan is one of the most important things you will do during your lifetime. It can also be one of the most intimidating endeavors the first time around because most people are unsure where to start or what they need to include in their plan. At the Rockingham County, New Hampshire, law firm of DeBruyckere Law Offices we understand all of the numerous and varied emotions that tend to go along with the estate planning process because we have dedicated our practice to helping people just like you with their estate planning needs. Our goal is to create a relationship with you that will make you feel more comfortable during the estate planning process and that will form the foundation of a lifetime of working together on your estate plan.
The History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire
The area that today is Rockingham County was once home to New Hampshire’s first European settlements, Pannaway and Strawbery Banke, as early as 1623, only three years after the landing of the pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Throughout the first half of the 17th century, Rockingham County was the center for business, trade and government for the entire state; although, at that time counties were not officially recognized yet by the state. In 1769, however, Rockingham County was officially organized and was incorporated in 1771 as one of the five original counties in New Hampshire. The county was named for Charles Weston Wentworth, Second Marquis of Rockingham and Prime Minister from 1765-1766. At that time, the county seat was at Exeter; however, it would later be moved to Concord in 1808.
Rockingham County, New Hampshire Today
Rockingham County is located in the southeastern portion of the state and is bordered by Maine to the northeast and Massachusetts to the south. All 18 miles of New Hampshire’s coastline can be found within Rockingham County. Rockingham County covers almost 700 square miles and is home to nearly 300,000 full-time residents. The two largest towns in Rockingham County are Derry and Salem, both of which can be found in the western part of the county. Derry is home to approximately 36,500 residents while Salem has a population of about 30,000 people.
Visitors and residents alike enjoy the Rockingham County Botanical Garden located in Brentwood and the Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth where you will find a number of historic buildings from the 17th through the 19th centuries. Children – of all ages – don’t want to miss a trip to Canobie Lake Park, located in Salem, where you will find an amusement park opened in 1902. Rockingham Park racetrack, also located in Salem, offers weekly horse racing. America’s Stonehenge is also located within the county. There you will find what people claim to be pre-Columbian stone structures.
Not surprisingly, you will also find a number of popular resort towns along the coast in Rockingham County. Hampton Beach, for example, attracts tourists from all over the world who enjoy walking along the boardwalk and getting dressed up for the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. The town of Rye features several undeveloped beaches such as Odiorne Point State Park and contains New Hampshire’s portion of the Isles of Shoals. The Seabrook Greyhound Racing Park, located in Seabrook, offers another chance to place a bet on a race.
DeBruyckere Law Offices in the Rockingham County, Community
At DeBruyckere Law Offices, we are proud to be part of the Rockingham County, New Hampshire community. Our goal is to help our friends and neighbors throughout Rockingham County with their all of their estate planning needs. Because those needs will change throughout a lifetime, we strive to create lifetime relationships with our clients that will facilitate reviewing and revising their estate plans on a regular basis.
Creating an estate plan requires you to contemplate and discuss highly personal, and oftentimes sensitive, subject matters. We understand that at DeBruyckere Law Offices which is one reason we work toward creating true relationships with our clients that go beyond the typical attorney-client relationship. We want you to feel comfortable discussing all of your estate planning issues with us, even if some of them are difficult to share.
Estate planning is also not something that is ever truly finished. The estate plan you create when you are single and in your 20s will not likely be anything like the estate plan you have in place when you near the end of your life. Your initial estate plan may consist of nothing more than a Last Will and Testament because your only real concern at that stage in your life is that your modest assets be distributed according to your wishes. Marriage and parenthood may cause you to worry about your own incapacity as well as saving for retirement. Each of those concerns will need to be incorporated into your comprehensive estate plan. If you decide to start your own small business, business succession strategies will need to become part of your overall estate plan. As you near your “Golden Years,” you will want to consider adding Medicaid planning into your estate plan to ensure that you will qualify for Medicaid should the need arise. Finally, funeral planning may be something you decide to incorporate into your estate plan as a way to ensure that your wishes will be honored as well as saving your loved ones from dealing with the stress and frustration of trying to plan a funeral in the midst of their own grief at your loss. At the Londonderry law firm of DeBruyckere Law Offices our desire is to be with you throughout your life’s journey and to contribute to protecting you, your assets, and your loved ones along that journey.
Contact Us
If you have estate planning questions or concerns, or would like to get started creating your estate plan, contact the experienced Londonderry, New Hampshire estate planning attorneys at DeBruyckere Law Offices by calling (603) 894-4141 or (978) 969-0331 to schedule your free consultation.
