Estate Planning & Probate

Anthony's goal is to give people solutions so they can feel more confident about their future and the future of their loved ones. In addition to conventional estate planning situations, we continually field questions dealing with blended families, family members a client may wish to exclude from an estate plan, planning for the family business, philanthropic opportunities, and dealing with a variety of situations that family can pose. Proper estate planning can provide you with peace of mind and help to avoid costly future estate litigation and tax liability. 

Anthony is pleased to provide a wide range of estate planning services for you and your family regardless of the complexity or simplicity of your situation. During your initial estate planning consultation you will learn about the process of probate administration and the possibilities for avoiding probate, if that is desired. You will be given the opportunity to designate the person or persons who will administer your estate or trust, who will serve as guardian of minor children or incapacitated persons, who may serve as your agent under a Power of Attorney, and who will make medical and health related decisions for you in the event you are unable to do so. Your estate plan should be based upon your unique personal and financial situation and will be tailored to your needs. 

The post-death administration and transfer of assets pursuant to a Will or Trust often entails complex matters, and Anthony's experience in these matters can be invaluable. Anthony prides himself on having the breadth of experience and thoughtful problem-solving abilities to assist the personal representative or trustee in avoiding the numerous pitfalls that sometimes are not apparent. Anthony can also assist beneficiaries and creditors in probate and trust matters.

The following is a list of some of the many issues with which Anthony can assist:

• Wills, Revocable Living Trusts, Irrevocable Trusts, Special Needs Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Health Care Directives, Designations of Health Care Surrogate, and Living Wills concerning life-prolonging procedures
• Formal Administration, Summary Administration, Ancillary Administration, and Disposition of Personal Property without Administration
• Intestate distribution (when the deceased leaves no Will)
• Will contests, breach of fiduciary duty suits, and other probate and trust litigation
• Procedures to avoid and limit the possibility of a Will contest or other litigation
• Responsibilities and liabilities of the personal representative or trustee
• Rights and limitations of beneficiaries
• Marshalling and preserving assets
• Business continuity for the deceased’s enterprises
• Evaluating issues concerning property exempt from creditors
• Elective share of a surviving spouse
• Family Allowance
• Minimizing estate taxes
• Final Accountings
• Timing of distributions
• Obtaining receipts and releases
• Closing estates and trusts