Foundation Estate Planning

• Counsels families and individuals with basic estate planning needs, which include directing the distribution of assets, minimizing taxes, incapacity planning and probate avoidance.
• Prepares wills and trusts, nominates guardians and creates financial and medical directives (living wills).
• Counsels clients about integrating life insurance policies, retirement accounts, business interests, and real property into the overall estate plan.

Advanced Estate Planning

• Counsels clients with business interests on effective ways to pass those business interests to family members or employees.
• Develops methods to freeze current asset values and deflect growth to lower generations.
• Maximizes the use of generation skipping transfer tax exemptions.
• Creates irrevocable trusts to reduce estate taxes.
• Works with clients to consider the opportunities and challenges involved with family cottage and vacation properties.
• Builds estate plans to provide for both a surviving spouse and children from prior relationships.

Trust and Estate Administration

• Prepares court petitions on behalf of personal representatives and trustees.
• Counsels fiduciaries in estate and trust administration.
• Prepares estate and gift tax returns.