A. Individual Estate Planning

To accomplish the clients’ goals of asset protection, the distribution of their assets upon death and to avoid the cost of the probate courts, clients will be interviewed and an estate plan design created. To this end, our attorneys advise clients on all aspects of estate planning, including related tax issues, the establishment of living trusts, wills, durable powers of attorney for property management and advance health care directives.

B. Post Death Estate Administration

Following a death, we counsel family members, beneficiaries, executors and trustees in both nonjudicial trust administration and court supervised probate proceedings. We prepare estate tax returns (IRS Form 706), fiduciary income tax returns (IRS Form 1041), assist with surviving spouses with sub-trust funding, and advise our clients on ongoing administration and trust accounting issues.

C. Business Succession Planning

We advise clients on planning for the orderly generational transfer of family owned businesses, including techniques designed to minimize estate and gift taxes, mitigate capital gains taxes on sales or transfers, and maximize liquidity and cash flow. Our attorneys, counsel clients and develop the best strategies for transferring business interests to children, grandchildren, key employees, and other successors, while preserving the integrity of the business.

D. Wealth Transfer Planning

Our attorneys provide clients with sophisticated wealth transfer planning services, including the establishment of irrevocable gift trusts, life insurance trusts (ILIT), family limited partnerships (FLP), limited liability companies (LLC), and non-charitable split interest trusts such as grantor-retained annuity trusts (GRAT) and qualified personal residence trusts (QPRT).

E. Charitable Gift Planning

We assist clients with charitable gift planning, including the establishment of charitable remainder and lead trusts, private foundations, charitable gift annuities, donor advised funds and other charitable giving vehicles.