Our estate planning attorneys concentrate their efforts in the following areas:

Living trusts provide for the management of property during the client's lifetime in case of disability and also for the effective disposition of a client's assets at death in a tax-efficient and probate-free manner

Life insurance trusts remove death benefits from existing life insurance policies and reduce taxable estate

Charitable trusts created to make a substantial gift to a charity and also achieve income and estate tax savings for the donor

Special needs trusts hold supplemental funds for the benefit of an individual with disabilities who receives public benefits

Minor's trusts are established to provide income and property for the minor's benefit but allows donor supervision of distribution of benefits

Support and educational trusts for children and other family members designed to minimize income taxes while providing the assurance that resources will be available to beneficiaries for estate purposes

Spendthrift trusts gives an independent trustee full authority to make decisions as to how the trust funds may be spent for the benefit of the beneficiary.  Creditors of the beneficiary generally cannot reach the funds in the trust, and the funds are not actually under the beneficiary's control.

"Estate freezing" techniques such as Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs), Qualified Personal Residence Trusts (QPRTs), and installment sales to "defective" grantor trusts, which are irrevocable trusts in which the grantor retains a certain right for a specified term

Wills, testamentary trusts, and similar arrangements provide security for the client's heirs, reduce income taxes, and maximize administrative efficiency

Durable powers of attorneys authorize a designated agent to make financial decisions for an incapacitated person.

Advance health care directives allow a designated agent to make health care decisions for an incapacitated person.

Planning for qualified plan and Individual Retirement Account (IRA) assets

Estate and trust administration, including distribution of assets to beneficiaries

Business Formation

Family partnerships, joint ventures, and limited liability companies, substantially minimizing the family's potential income and estate tax, allowing transmission of assets to children now, while preserving complete control

The creation of business structures to maximize deferral of estate taxes and the implementation of "buy-out" agreements and insurance programs to ensure that sufficient liquid assets will be available to pay taxes

Succession planning for a closely held business

Property Agreements

Planning and negotiating prenuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements, and other arrangements to protect assets and earnings from potential claims of ex-spouses or others

Planning and negotiating specialized marital settlement agreements to provide for the continued unified operation and control of a family business and investment properties following a divorce

Family Business Consulting

Assisting and advising business owners and their families in matters of succession planning and family legacy.

Developing successful and workable ownership and leadership transfer plans for continued growth, profitability and family leadership.

Tax Counseling

General tax planning for partnerships, limited liability companies, corporations, and individuals, including the structuring of tax-advantaged investments, real estate joint ventures, real estate investment trusts (REITs), S corporations, private foundations, pension trusts, and other entities.