Areas of Practice

Estate Planning and Probate

Attorneys in our trust and estate practice work closely with clients to establish plans that achieve personal goals for the accumulation and disposition of assets, whether in modest or larger estates. In preparing a plan, we analyze the existing assets and identify family and personal issues. We formulate and effectuate an estate plan specifically tailored to meet the client's objectives. This may include the following, among others:

• Simple plans.  A young family with small children and fewer assets may need a simple plan that emphasizes the parents’ concern about their children’s well being.
• Charitable giving. This includes private foundations, conservation restrictions and restricted gifts.
• Succession planning for family businesses. There are a number of critical and sensitive issues in counseling family businesses to meet both business and personal goals. Solutions may include buy-sell arrangements, recapitalizations, and holdings restructuring.
• Retirement issues and planning.
• Planning for incapacitated persons, whether adults or children.

In addition, our attorneys are skilled in probate litigation, including will contests, interpretation of wills and trusts, reformation of trusts, guardianships, financial conservatorships, fiduciary accountings, as well as a variety of legal issues concerning estate administration.

Frequently in probate matters it is necessary to work closely with other professionals to provide our clients with multidisciplinary services.  Our attorneys have significant experience working with tax, medical, and financial professionals.