Estate planning is the process of anticipating and arranging for the disposal of an estate. Estate planning typically attempts to eliminate uncertainties over the administration of a probate and maximize the value of the estate by reducing taxes and other expenses. Estate planning attorneys advise clients on their options for disposition of real and personal property after death, and create any number of necessary documents pertaining to the estate and finances of the client -- including wills and trusts. Estate planning law attorneys also assist clients in setting out their end-of-life health care wishes through living wills and health care powers of attorney.
Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota, the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. Its population was 55,532 at the 2000 census. Its metropolitan population was 94,719 in 2000, but was estimated in 2008 to have grown to 104,944. Bismarck was founded in 1872 and has been North Dakota's capital since it gained statehood in 1889. Bismarck is situated on the east bank of the Missouri River, directly across the river from Mandan. The two cities make up the core of the Bismarck-Mandan Metropolitan Statistical Area The North Dakota State Capitol, the tallest building in the state, towers over the central part of Bismarck. The state government employs many people in the city. As a hub of manufacturing, retail, and health care, Bismarck is the economic center of a large portion of south-central North Dakota and north-central South Dakota.