Wealth Preservation & Estate Planning Strategies
Estate taxes can significantly shrink the size of your estate. We can help protect you from creditors and predators by providing advice on issues including property ownership, distribution strategies, estate tax reduction and tax payment techniques, in addition to will and trust design strategies.
For an estate to be passed on to the heirs, there could be settlement costs, such as probate fees and death taxes. In some cases, where the estate taxes are substantial, assets may have to be liquidated in order to pay them. Also, the actual transfer of assets could be delayed by probate proceedings that are bogged down if there are any contestable assets.
Sound estate planning strategies can eliminate many problems that arise during the settlement of an estate and help you accomplish the following:
- Ensure that your wishes are honored when you are unable to manage your own affairs.
- Communicate your wishes and expectations precisely to your family and heirs.
- Provide for your family's financial security.
- Provide capital to help meet immediate liquidity needs for settlement costs.
- Facilitate the timely distribution of assets by avoiding probate proceedings.
- Maximize the estate for transfer by minimizing estate taxes and expenses.
- Ensure that all beneficiaries are named in accordance with the most recent will or avoid publicity by keeping the proceedings out of the public record.
- Conserve the estate so later generations can benefit.
- Leave a charitable legacy with a gift of assets or a trust.