We are well versed in both fundamental and sophisticated trust and estate planning techniques that will avoid intra-family control issues, provide asset protection, and assure smooth business succession with the least amount of estate and gift taxation.

This work is often done for clients who are owners of closely-held business enterprises, which the Firm also represents, as we understand the need to coordinate the business, corporate and income tax planning of businesses with the lifetime management of the assets of their owners and the succession and appropriate distribution of such assets through effective estate planning. This is accomplished through coordinated use of various techniques, which may include the strategic creation of family limited liability companies and family limited partnerships, gifting programs involving valuation discounts of family businesses, creation of so-called GRAT's, GRUT's, QPRT's, CRUT's, CRAT's and IDGT's, stock recapitalizations, creation of revocable and irrevocable trusts, selection of appropriate fiduciaries, and the freezing of the value of an individual's taxable estate.

For individual clients, the Firm frequently prepares wills, trusts, living wills, powers of attorney, and a variety of other sophisticated estate planning documents. We structure estates to maximize flexibility and minimize the payment of state and federal estate taxes. Our practice also includes Medicaid planning, probate administration, implementing techniques to address and thoughtfully provide for circumstances that arise with second marriages, and an expanding representation of the elderly and disabled by finding and implementing creative solutions to the unique legal issues they encounter.