Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Administration
Howard & Howard is a full-service business law firm with an extensive probate, trust administration, guardianships, estate and tax planning law practice. The attorneys at Howard & Howard strive to meet our clients' needs in the most efficient and effective manner possible and provide our clients with practical solutions for estate planning and tax planning.
The Howard & Howard Estate Planning Group consists of tax and estate planning attorneys who listen, educate, recommend, design, and assist in the implementation of safe, flexible, comprehensive yet understandable, efficient, and cost effective innovative tax and non tax oriented wealth formation and transfer strategies and related documents in order to achieve the goals and objectives of our clients. Estate planning frequently reaches beyond issues solely of taxation.
The only thing that ever remains constant is "change." Therefore, we strive to help develop adaptive solutions to accommodate changes in (i) the laws; (ii) the client's feelings; (iii) marital or domestic partner relationships; (iv) asset changes; (v) health circumstances; and (vi) family and/or partner business relationships.
We cover the basics to the highly complex as the facts and circumstances may dictate.
Accordingly, we prepare:
- Wills
- Traditional Trusts
- Wait & See Trusts™
- Intervivos Marital Trusts
- Asset Protection Trusts
- Qualified Domestic Trusts
- Retirement Plan Trusts™
- Non "Foreign" International Trusts
- Pet Trusts
- Education Trusts
- Charitable Trusts (Lead, Uni, Annuity and Remainder)
- Private Foundations and Not For Profit Planning
- Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts
- Qualified Personal Residence Trusts
- Dynasty Trusts
- Intentionally Defective Trusts
- Voting Trusts and Agreements
- General Durable Powers of Attorney
- HIPAA Release Agreements
- Health Care Powers of Attorney
Accordingly, Howard & Howard actively advises clients with regard to the following planning areas:
- Estate and gift taxes
- Generation skipping transfer tax planning
- Income taxes
- Life vs. death planning
- Gift planning
- Post mortem planning
- Business succession
- Asset protection
- Multi-generational planning
- Charitable planning
- Estate & trust administration and litigation
- Trust reformations
- Executive compensation planning
- Estate & gift tax return preparation
- Probate controversies
- Guardianships / conservatorships
- Representing art collectors
- Estate freezes
- Trust funding
- Marital agreements and domestic partner agreements
- Counseling fiduciaries
- Tax audits and controversies
- State and local taxation
- Asset allocation considerations
This planning transcends families and also applies to business partners and corporate and business planning. Estate planning administration invariably also leads to an interdisciplinary process that couples the need for advice and possible services of other very well qualified Howard & Howard attorneys. Accordingly, the Estate Planning Group, on a team approach with our other attorneys, collectively recommend, design, draft, and also assist in the implementation of the following:
- Entity formations (corporations, partnerships, and LLC's including start ups)
- Entity compliance
- Buy sell agreements
- Executive compensation agreements
- Retirement plans and fringe benefits planning
- Mergers, acquisitions, purchases and sales and liquidations of businesses and professional practices
- Real estate planning
- International taxation and planning
- Dispute resolution and mediation
- Business and general litigation
- Intellectual property matters
- Public offerings and private placements
- Banking and securities law and regulatory work
- Environmental Law
- Franchise Law
- Gaming Law
- Labor Law
- Insurance claims and litigation
- Venture capital transactions
- Communications Law
- Energy Law
- Immigration Law
- US/Canadian Law
- Bankruptcy Law and receivorships
Not only do we team up with other Howard & Howard attorneys, but we frequently integrate our client's matters where applicable with the client's other professional advisors, including their accountants, financial advisors, appraisers, bankers and insurance advisors. Our goal is to meet periodically with the client's team in order to maintain and enhance planning opportunities, abate potential problems, and to continue to achieve the client’s current and changing goals and objectives. We try to structure our planning in ways to minimize and hopefully deter possible conflicts within the family and/or business structure.
We at Howard & Howard pride ourselves in prompt, attentive, and cost-effective service, in the process of providing comprehensive and innovative solutions, without possible disruption to our clients of their other planning considerations. We are not "one size fits all" attorneys. We strive to customize the legal services to meet the unique client circumstances. Every client and client matter is important to us. Therefore, our goal at Howard & Howard is to "make a difference!"
