Estate Planning and Probate

We are proud of our reputation in the estate planning field. Our attorneys are often called upon to teach seminars to lawyers and other professionals concerning tax and estate planning topics. We can provide you with independent and objective information and advice about the many options that are available to you. Please let us put our experience and knowledge to work for your benefit.

Primary Estate Planning
  • Wills of all types
  • Trusts (Revocable and Irrevocable)
  • Marital Property Agreements
  • Financial (Durable) Powers of Attorney
  • Health Care Powers of Attorney
  • Living Wills(Regarding Life Support)
  • Gifts To Minors

Other Estate Planning Services
  • Business Succession Planning
  • Medicaid(Nursing Home)Counseling
  • Guardianships
  • Business Buy-Sell Agreements
  • Planning For Retirement

Advanced Estate Planning
• Avoiding Probate Procedures
• Life Insurance Trusts
• Generation-Skipping Trusts
• Family Limited Partnerships
• Family Limited Liability Companies
• Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts
• Qualified Personal Residence Trusts
• Charitable Remainder Trusts
• Other Estate Tax Reduction Strategies

Estate Settlements
• Settlements Without Probate
• Probate Procedures
• Summary Settlements

Our estate planning attorneys have the knowledge and experience to provide you with a wide assortment of estate planning and family business planning services and products. From the simple to the sophisticated, whether your estate is of modest size or is substantial, we have the expertise to achieve your estate planning objectives. Our estate planners keep up-to-date with all aspects of the constantly changing transfer tax provisions of the Internal Revenue Code to take advantage of favorable planning strategies.

You will be the center of this planning. We carefully listen to your goals and concerns and we tailor our planning for your situation.

Wills and Trusts
There are many kinds of Wills and Trusts. Deciding which is best for you depends upon your needs and preferences. You may designate the beneficiaries of your estate, select the guardian of your minor children, make specific bequests and designate your personal representative.

Saving Taxes
It is often possible to save a substantial amount in reduced estate taxes and income taxes. Saving taxes is frequently a primary reason for doing estate planning. We will inform you of these tax savings opportunities.

Probate/Avoiding Probate
We can assist you in preparing a revocable living trust and other documents that may be used to transfer property to your beneficiaries without probate. Also, our attorneys have extensive experience in handling probates of all sizes, both formal and informal administration, and of summary settlement techniques, when such procedures are necessary.

Power Of Attorney
We want you to be in control of your future and finances. We can assist you by preparing a Financial Power of Attorney and a Health Care Power of Attorney. With a Financial Power of Attorney you can designate the person of your choice (your Agent) to handle your finances and banking if you ever become incapacitated. With a Health Care Power of Attorney you can designate the person of your choice to make health care decisions on your behalf if you are ever unable to make those decisions yourself.

Business Transfers
We prepare Buy-Sell Agreements for owners of closely held businesses and we advise owners about tax and other considerations when transferring a business upon retirement or death.

Advanced Tax Reduction Techniques
We can advise you of the availability, benefits and risks of using numerous sophisticated tax reduction procedures. These procedures and strategies may include (but are not limited to): insurance trusts, family partnerships, generation-skipping gifts, charitable remainder trusts, and grantor retained interest trusts.