Practice/Organization Description
Lane Powell’s Trusts and Estates Practice Group is comprised of a team of attorneys who practice in all aspects of estate and gift planning, business succession planning, probate and trust administration, charitable planning, asset protection planning, international estate planning, and trust, estate, and guardianship disputes and litigation.
Our Approach to Planning
We focus on creating customized, personal plans that fit each client’s individual circumstances and goals. Families often need to address difficult family relationships and dynamics in their personal planning. Specializing in such personal planning, our attorneys offer innovative solutions to the issues facing our clients, and the business succession problems encountered by business owners. As a result, we are able to develop estate planning strategies that can provide our clients and their families with significant estate, gift and income tax savings. We help families and individuals face the wide variety of difficult issues that can arise when designing a plan to transfer family wealth from one generation to the next. Such planning often involves:
•Federal and State Estate Taxes
•Business Succession Planning
•Income Tax Planning
•Charitable Planning
•Asset Protection Planning
•Cohabitation, Premarital and Postnuptial Agreements, as well as Property Agreements tailored to nontraditional relationships recognized by courts of the various states in which our clients reside
In addition, we work with families after the death of a loved one, assisting with:
•Probate and Trust Administration
•Advising Heirs and Beneficiaries (including surviving spouses and younger generations)
Our Approach to Challenges
Unfortunately, even with the most careful planning and best of intentions, personal planning may be challenged by the Internal Revenue Service or by other family members. Our attorneys have extensive experience representing clients before the Internal Revenue Service. We also have extensive experience representing fiduciaries, beneficiaries, and family members in probate, trust, and guardianship litigation.
Our Sophisticated Knowledge Base
The laws governing estates, wills and trusts, and the federal and state estate tax laws, are complex and constantly changing. Lane Powell’s Trusts and Estates Practice Group works continuously to keep abreast of these changes and their potential impact on our clients and their businesses. Our attorneys regularly write and speak on the many complex issues that arise in estate planning and administration to local, regional and national audiences. In addition, because of our expertise and reputation for presenting complex ideas clearly, we are frequently called upon by state and local bar associations to lead seminars and presentations.
Lane Powell’s Trusts and Estates Practice Group offer a wide range of services:
•Wills and Trusts
•Community Property
•Partnership, LLC, and Buy-Sell Agreements
•Revocable Trusts (also known as Living Trusts)
•Irrevocable Trusts
•Cohabitation, Prenuptial, Postnuptial and Other Forms of Property Agreements
•Charitable Planning, including charitable trusts, donor advised funds, supporting organizations, private foundations and tax-exempt organizations
•Fiduciary Representation, including Probate and Trust Administration Services
•Preparation of federal and state Estate and Gift Tax Returns
•Representation in Estate and Trust Dispute Resolution, including mediation and, if necessary, litigation, addressing matters such as will contests, trust litigation, guardianship conflicts and IRS or state tax return audits
•Business Planning, including business succession planning, transition of business ownership, representation of the business in tax-related matters
