Planning for Your Legacy
Preserving wealth for children and grandchildren, gifting donations to your favorite causes, identifying recipients of prized personal property, ensuring business continuity and succession planning – a well-designed estate plan will make certain your legacy will be distributed, honored and protected. Our estate planning attorneys help clients create strategies for:
- Wills
- Trusts
- Living trusts
- Gifting and donations
- Estate taxes
Preserving Your Personal Wishes
Trust and estate planning may involve more than your tangible assets. Whether planning for your older self or a dependent with special needs, preparing for the future gives you peace of mind. By addressing these issues, including those related to your health care or future incapacity – such as authorizing who can help manage your care and assets through powers of attorney and arranging for the care of those you love, you can make certain your personal wishes will be honored.
- Healthcare directives
- Healthcare power of attorney
- Power of attorney
- Special needs trusts
- Conservatorships and incapacity planning
Estate Litigation
At times, fiduciaries or beneficiaries of estates and trusts may disagree with the administration, division of property, or interpreted intentions of a decedent. These situations can be complex and often evoke emotional tensions between family members. Our attorneys bring a combination of empathy and strategy to representing clients in these sensitive disputes. Whether parties come to terms through mediation or through the courts, our experienced litigation attorneys represent clients in disputes related to:
- Conservatorships
- Guardianships
- Fiduciary duties and trust administration
- Distribution of assets
- Will and trust contests
- Undue influence
- Competency and capacity
- Marital and quasi-marital property
Probate
When an estate or specific assets are left intestate (not included in a valid will or trust) upon a person’s death, the law has specific procedures for determining the distribution of the assets. This probate process can be complex and includes a number of specific deadlines, as well as the oversight of the court. We help families, beneficiaries, fiduciaries, trustees and executors navigate these procedures.
