We assist executors, trustees, and guardians to administer estates and trusts in an organized, timely, tax-efficient manner, while seeking to minimize fiduciary stress and family conflict and helping to preserve positive personal and family legacies.
This work includes, among other tasks:
- Assembling a detailed list of tasks to be completed, organized by target date and person responsible for completion
- Guiding fiduciaries through the steps they need to complete, while equipping them with information to handle tasks on their own to the extent they so choose
- Opening a probate estate or commencing trust administration
- Preparing estate tax returns
- Addressing applicable income tax and other trust administration issues
- Appearing in court
- Working in partnership with accountants, investment counselors, and other financial advisors to ensure smooth and consistent advice and administration
- Communicating with family members or other beneficiaries in an informative, non-emotional way
- Providing direction to trustees in administering older or poorly-drafted trust documents, including writing opinion letters on proper trust administration
- Representing trustees and beneficiaries in trust construction suits
For those of our estate and trust administration clients who have recently lost a loved one, we understand that the estate administration tasks can feel tremendously overwhelming at first. We take particular care to help our clients gain a sense of control and direction – and ultimately a sense of accomplishment and independence – by the end of the process.
Follow the steps below to begin the estate and trust administration process:
Step 2.
For help administering the estate and any trusts of someone who has recently passed away, download and complete our confidential estate administration questionnaire.
Once we have connected with you (but before your initial consultation), please return the estate administration questionnaire to our office.
Step 3.
Provide us with the relevant wills, trusts, deeds, and other documents related to the estate.