Guardianship

The administration of probate and guardianship estates and testamentary and intervivos trusts are the logical compliments to our estate planning practice.

Our attorneys are experienced in carrying out the execution of a client’s estate plan through proper and professional administration of decedent’s estates through probate. For those clients selecting revocable trusts, we assist either individual or corporate trustees with the settlement and administration of private trusts.

We also provide legal services to families of incapacitated persons through guardianship administration. Although we always counsel clients to avoid guardianship administration through the use of revocable trusts or durable powers of attorney, when necessary, we handle the administration of a guardianship.

Occasionally, probate, guardianship and trust administration ends up in litigation between parties having disputes over the proper disposition of the property subject to administration. Our probate, guardianship and trust attorneys typically work hand-in-hand with the firm’s civil litigation attorneys to represent our client’s interest in contested probate and guardianship matters.

In taxable estates, the overriding concern in estate administration is the reduction of estate tax through post-mortem planning, including preparing and filing the federal estate tax return and dealing with the IRS on audit. We have significant experience in representing estates on IRS estate tax examinations.