Estate Planning and Related Tax Planning
We believe all clients should have their “core” estate planning documents in place before building on that foundation to layer more advanced structures. Core estate planning documents address the most basic – and universal – incapacity and death. The documents include wills and durable powers of attorneys, and they may also include revocable trusts, agreements regarding community property, and other related documents. In addition to their core documents, most of our clients also need estate and gift tax planning. We assist many clients in strategizing and implementing lifetime gifting to achieve tax efficiency and address family dynamics and/or philanthropic goals. Lifetime gift planning may involve the creation of irrevocable trusts, family business entities, and private foundations. We also represent clients who are beneficiaries of irrevocable trusts settled by others. We help these clients to understand their rights as beneficiaries and help them in taking the trusts into account in planning for their own estates.
Probate and Trust Administration
When a client loses a loved one, we are here to help. We work closely with clients to provide compassionate, personalized support during this difficult time to help ensure that estates are settled efficiently and according to the deceased’s wishes. Our experienced team helps walk step-by-step with executors and trustees through the complex probate process. Even where there is no probate required, there is much work to do when someone passes away, particularly for those with taxable estates. We have years of experience helping clients navigate the complicated tax and legal rules relating to estate and trust administration, and pride ourselves on our comprehensive, caring approach focused on providing stability and assurance to clients throughout this difficult time.
Philanthropy and Planned Giving
We assist clients with sophisticated philanthropic planning to achieve their charitable goals. Our services include helping clients to establish and manage private foundations, charitable trusts, donor-advised funds, and other philanthropic vehicles that align with their values, while maximizing tax efficiency. Additionally, we help clients to prepare and enter into endowment agreements with educational or charitable institutions. Whether clients are looking to make an impact now or to create an enduring legacy as part of their long-term estate planning, we work thoughtfully with clients to realize their philanthropic vision.
International Estate Planning
Many of our clients own assets outside of the U.S. and/or have beneficiaries who reside abroad. Many come from other countries themselves and need estate planning that considers the impact of the laws of other jurisdictions. U.S.-centric estate plans can create havoc when there are other countries involved. Thus, it is critical to work with advisors in the other jurisdiction(s) to create effective and tax-efficient plans. We have unique expertise and experience working with foreign estate planning professionals to advise clients whose estate planning needs expand beyond the U.S. in cross-border estate planning.
Family Office Planning
We provide personalized guidance in establishing and administering family office structures that help preserve wealth across generations while reflecting our clients’ values and vision. Our services include advising on tax planning strategies, trust administration, philanthropic planning, and family governance frameworks. Whether a client is seeking a single-family office structure or a sophisticated multi-family office approach, we coordinate with clients’ existing advisors to address each client’s unique circumstances with the highest levels of expertise, discretion, and care.