Estate Planning

Individuals have different ideas, values, and objectives when they consider providing for themselves, their families, and charities and religious organizations, both during their lives and after they are gone.

In assisting our clients with their estate planning, our Trusts & Estates Group first helps determine and define these ideas, values, and objectives. Once that has been accomplished, we then counsel our clients on the wide variety of estate planning techniques available to them to achieve their desires and help them select and implement those techniques that best suit them.

Among the variety of issues we routinely address:

• Potential lifetime incapacity and the need for alternative management of financial and personal affairs, including after the first spouse dies
• Maximizing federal gift and estate tax avoidance, including through the use of annual exclusions, lifetime exemptions, GST tax exemptions, life insurance trusts, multigenerational dynasty trusts, GRATs, and more
• Financial security during lifetime to be followed by the passing of wealth to children and grandchildren at the time, in the manner, and in the amount that will be most suitable for them given their ever-changing personal circumstances