PRACTICE AREAS

ESTATE PLANNING

 

I prepare wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives and other documents to help individuals and couples plan for death and incapacity.

These documents vary from relatively straightforward (assets less than $2 million, left to children equally) to quite complicated (assets more than $2 million, blended families, unusual bequests etc.)

PROBATE & NON-PROBATE ADVISING

 

When a person dies, their assets (“estate”) may go through probate, or it may pass outside of probate (often through a particular type of trust known as a revocable living trust). Either way, there are legal and tax questions the Personal Representative of the Will or the Trustee of the trust will have as he or she takes care of the fiduciary responsibility to follow probate and non-probate administration laws.

I assist with that process, help answer those questions, and solve the inevitable issues that come up along the way. In doing so, I also often prepare estate (Form 706) and gift (Form 709) tax returns as part of the administration process.

BUSINESS FORMATION

&

BUSINESS ADVISING

 

When someone decides to start a business, there are a lot of different entity options to choose from (corporation, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability company, sole proprietor, S-Corp?) and there’s a lot of confusing information out there. I help you decide what entity type makes the most sense for you considering your legal and tax circumstances.


In addition, I also assist with reviewing and drafting business contracts.

TAX PREP

&

TAX STRATEGY

 

Yes, I prepare income taxes. I have prepared thousands of income tax returns and found that my income tax knowledge informs and amplifies my legal knowledge and vice versa. I prepare income taxes for individuals as well as trusts and estates. Most of the individual returns I do have complicated tax situations (rentals, sole proprietorships, stock options, large property sales etc.) and those individuals want the peace of mind that comes with having a tax pro prepare their return. My tax preparation process utilizes up to date technology so you can provide documents, review your return, and authorize electronically filing it—all without needing to drive to my office or physically mail documents.


I also advise on tax strategy and provide tax planning to help you reduce your tax bill and plan to pay what can’t be eliminated.