Estate Planning, Wills Trust & Probate
All clients face important issues in the desire to preserve the assets they have accumulated for their families, and to arrange for efficient administration of their estates. Attorneys in the Estate Planning Group are well versed in techniques that aid clients in forming and implementing comprehensive estate plans. While reducing estate tax liability is an important focus of the estate planning process at Anderson Agostino & Keller, P.C., we understand that each client’s situation is unique, and that tax motivated decisions must be consistent with client’s personal desires. Taking into account estate and income tax issues, as well as human and family concerns and financial management factors, our goal is to create comprehensive estate plans to address all of these issues, while tailoring each plan to the needs of the individual client: from traditional wills and trusts for taxable and nontaxable estates, to more sophisticated planning including the formation and implementation of business succession plans, family entities, charitable trusts, and irrevocable insurance trusts.
Estate administration is an essential part of Anderson Agostino & Keller, P.C.’s, practice. Administration of a decedent’s estate offers many opportunities for income and estate tax savings through careful post-mortem planning. Valuation issues are often critical in larger estates, and our attorneys have developed strong working relationships with professionals who value many difference types of property. Anderson Agostino & Keller, P.C., also maintains relationships with accountants who have significant experience in both estate tax and estate income tax matters.
We also counsel clients in matters of probate and trust administration, post-mortem planning, prenuptial agreements and guardianship actions for minors and incapacitated adults.
The following descriptions are representative of Anderson Agostino & Keller, P.C.’s, work in the Estate Planning/Probate/Trust area:
Development and coordination of estate plans, including:
- Succession planning for multiple generations in family businesses;
- Coordination of charitable and family gifts; and
- Creation of limited liability companies and other entities to protect family ownership, ensure continuity of management, and provide an efficient means of making gifts.
Drafting wills, trusts, and advanced directive documents to:
- Provide for assistance to incapacitated or ill clients;
- Reduce, defer, and where possible eliminate federal estate tax liability;
- Protect family assets threatened by issues such as heirs with dependency, creditor, or immaturity problems;
- Provide for beneficiaries with special needs, while protecting their entitlement to government benefits; and
- Arrange for appropriate provisions for children from multiple marriages
- Probate of wills and assistance to personal representatives (executors) and trustees in carrying out their fiduciary duties related to administration and settlement of estates and trusts;
- Representing personal representatives and trustees or estate/trust beneficiaries in negotiation and litigation of family conflicts and disputes with third parties;
- Coordination of post-mortem planning, including the use of disclaimers to reduce tax liability or shift assets within the family without additional tax cost;
- Preparing prenuptial agreements and other intra-family documents that affect clients’ estates; and
- Representing petitioners and other affected parties in connection with guardianship proceedings
In addition to our attorneys in the Estate Planning/Probate Group, Anderson Agostino & Keller, P.C.’s, attorneys throughout the Firm have extensive experience in real property, corporate, partnership, retirement planning, litigation, and many others. These other members of the Firm are immediately available to assist when the needs of our client or an estate fall within those areas.