Ames, Iowa Attorney for Personal Injury, Estate Planning, Bankruptcy & Criminal Defense
'Believe, Inform, Empower & Defend'
We are The Smith Law Firm, PLLC, and we help Iowa families navigate life's biggest transitions with clarity, compassion, and advocacy.
GUIDING YOU THROUGH LIFE'S CHALLENGES
We aim to provide dependable legal guidance for the families who make our community great. At The Smith Law Firm, it is our mission to understand our clients' needs and give them the best legal advice.
WHEN YOU NEED LEGAL HELP,
YOU NEED ADVICE YOU CAN TRUST
Having someone who has specific experience in the assistance you need is invaluable. At The Smith Law Firm, PLLC, we work in just a few areas of the law because we have built a tried-and-true system to address them.
PERSONAL INJURY
At The Smith Law Firm, we handle many types of personal injury cases, including slip-and-fall premises liability, pedestrian accidents, car, truck, and motorcycle accidents, medical malpractice and nursing home neglect, dog bites, and product liability.
ESTATE PLANNING
Estate planning should be a vital part of your life plans. It allows you to organize your assets and dispose of them as you prefer. Even more important, it allows you to make vital provisions for your kids and yourself.
BANKRUPTCY
For consumers who are anxious over their monetary situation — perhaps to the point where they’re struggling to sleep at night — bankruptcy might be more of a relief than a stressor.
CRIMINAL DEFENSE
Facing a criminal charge alone can be very scary and overwhelming. Don’t go through the criminal process in Iowa alone. Call The Smith Law Firm, PLLC, for compassionate legal assistance.
My wife and I needed help navigating the Medicaid system for my mother-in-law. Shawn was excellent. His advice was right on. He also handled the paperwork we needed done. Shawn made us feel so comfortable and at ease discussing our case. The Smith Law Firm is excellent.
- LeRoy
Recent Blog Posts
As the year winds down, many of us think about the causes we care about: our church, the food bank, a scholarship fund, the animal shelter down the road. If you've ever wondered how to keep supporting those causes after you're gone, *charitable giving in your estate plan* is a simple, meaningful way to do it. The good news: you don't have to be wealthy, and you don't have to choose between your family and your favorite charity. With a little planning, you can take care of both. Why Fall Is a Good Time to Think About Giving Fall naturally brings giving to mind. Year-end donation appeals arrive in the mail, workplace open enrollment has you looking at benefits and beneficiaries, and the holidays are around the corner. That makes it a good moment to ask a bigger question: *Beyond this year's check, what do I want my giving to look like over the long run?* Your estate plan is where that answer lives. Simple Ways to Include Charitable Giving in Your Estate Plan There are several ways to leave a gift to charity, and most are easier than people expect. A gift in your will or trust. You can leave a specific dollar amount, a specific item (like land or stock), or a percentage of what's left after your family's gifts are made. A percentage gift is often a good choice because it adjusts automatically if your estate grows or shrinks. Naming a charity as a beneficiary. Retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and many bank or investment accounts let you name a beneficiary directly. You can name a charity as a full or partial beneficiary. These gifts usually pass outside of probate, the court process for settling an estate. A "contingent" gift. Some people name a charity as a backup, receiving a gift only if their primary beneficiaries aren't living. It's a thoughtful way to make sure your assets go somewhere meaningful no matter what. More advanced options. For larger estates or more specific goals, tools like charitable trusts or donor-advised funds may make sense. These can be set up to give your family income for a time and then benefit a charity later. They take more careful planning, so it's worth talking through whether they fit your situation. Balancing Your Family and Your Favorite Causes A common worry is, "Will my kids feel shortchanged?" It's a fair question, and the answer comes down to clear planning and, ideally, an open conversation. Many families choose a modest percentage for charity and leave the rest to loved ones. Others name charities only for certain assets. A retirement account, for example, may be a particularly efficient asset to leave to charity, depending on your circumstances, because charities and individual heirs can be treated differently for tax purposes. If you're married, keep in mind that Iowa law gives a surviving spouse certain rights in an estate. A good plan takes those rights into account so your wishes are carried out smoothly. Get the Details Right Charitable gifts work best when they are written precisely. A few practical tips: - Use the charity's full legal name and, if possible, its tax identification number. Many organizations have similar names. - Plan for change . Charities sometimes merge, change names, or close. Your documents can say what should happen if that occurs. - Say what you mean. If you want your gift used for a specific purpose, like scholarships or a building fund, say so. If you'd rather the charity use it wherever it's needed most, say that too. - Check your beneficiary forms . These forms usually control over your will, so make sure they match your overall plan. What This Means for You Here's a quick checklist to get started: - Make a short list of the causes that matter most to you. - Decide whether you'd like to give a set amount, a percentage, or a specific asset. - Review the beneficiary designations on your retirement accounts and life insurance during open enrollment. - Consider sharing your plans with your family to avoid surprises. - Talk with an attorney about the best way to put your wishes in writing. Let's Talk About Your Legacy Your estate plan is about more than paperwork. It's a reflection of what, and who, you care about. If you'd like to include a charitable gift, or simply want to review your current plan before the new year, Smith Law Firm in Ames is here to help. We'll walk you through your options in plain English and build a plan that fits your family and your values. Contact Smith Law Firm today to schedule a consultation @ 515-451-1260 *This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, please consult a licensed Iowa attorney.*
September is National Preparedness Month — here's why your Iowa family's legal documents matter as much as your emergency kit.
Every August, National Make-A-Will Month rolls around to remind Americans of an uncomfortable statistic: most people still don't have a will. If you've been meaning to write one — or update one you signed years ago — this is a good nudge to finally do it. Why This Month Exists National Make-A-Will Month isn't a government holiday or a legal deadline. It's an awareness campaign, and it exists because the numbers are stubborn. Roughly two-thirds of American adults don't have a current will, according to recent industry surveys. People put it off for the same reasons every year — it feels unpleasant, it feels premature, or it simply falls off the to-do list. August is simply a designated moment to stop putting it off. What a Will Actually Does for Your Family A will is a legal document that takes effect when you die. In it, you name an executor (called a personal representative under Iowa law) to handle your affairs, direct how your property should be distributed, and — if you have minor children — name a guardian to raise them. Without a will, Iowa's intestacy laws decide who inherits your property, following a fixed order set by statute rather than your personal wishes. If you have young children, a court decides who raises them if something happens to both parents, rather than the person you would have chosen. A will puts those decisions back in your hands. "I'll Get to It Eventually" Is a Risk, Not a Plan The people who put off writing a will usually fall into one of two camps: they think they don't have enough assets to bother, or they assume their spouse or kids will simply "figure it out." Neither assumption holds up well in practice. You don't need significant wealth for a will to matter — you need people who depend on you. A modest estate without a will can still mean months of unnecessary court involvement, family disagreements over who gets what, and confusion at exactly the moment your family needs clarity. And "figuring it out" without a will often means navigating a probate process that's slower and more complicated than it needed to be. If You Already Have a Will, This Is a Good Month to Check It Make-A-Will Month isn't just for people starting from zero. If your will is more than a few years old, ask yourself: Has your family changed — a marriage, divorce, birth, or death — since you signed it? Have you moved, bought property, or changed jobs? Is the executor you named still the right person, and still willing and able to serve? Does your will still reflect what you'd actually want today? An outdated will is better than no will, but it can still send your assets, or your children's care, somewhere you never intended. What This Means for You: A Quick Checklist Before August ends, take stock of where you stand: - Do you have a signed, current will? - Does it name a guardian for any minor children? - Is your named executor still the right choice? - Has anything major changed in your life since you signed it? - Does your family know where the original is kept? If you can't check every box, that's not a reason to feel behind — it's just the next thing to take care of. Let's Get Your Will in Place You don't need a complicated estate or a special occasion to write a will — you just need people you want to protect, and August is as good a reminder as any. At Smith Law Firm in Ames, we help central Iowa families put a clear, affordable will in place, or review one that's been sitting in a drawer for too long. If you'd like to create your will or have your current one reviewed this month, reach out to schedule a consultation. Visit www.shawnsmithlaw.com or call our office at (515) 451-1260 or text 515-349-5684 *This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your specific situation, please consult a licensed Iowa attorney.*
