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Trusts & Estates IconTrusts & Estates

Hallett & Perrin provides coordinated advice and services for non-profit groups, including public and private foundations. We regularly counsel these clients on corporate organization and governance matters, executive compensation arrangements, structuring of employer-employee policies and procedures, as well as various real estate, investment and litigation matters.

Gifts & Estate Planning

In the area of gifts and estate planning, we develop and implement an overall plan to minimize estate, gift and generation-skipping taxes while achieving our client’s goals, including planning for lifetime and death transfers, incompetency, and creditor protection. This often includes the use of annual exclusions, unified credit deductions, family limited partnerships, trusts, wills, family trusts and insurance trusts. We also provide planning services and prepare appropriate documents addressing:

  • Children’s educational needs or other special circumstances
  • Foreign residents
  • Planned charitable giving
  • Incapacitated individuals needing assistance on estate and healthcare matters.

Family Matters

In addition to the tax aspects of estate planning, we provide a broad spectrum of ancillary services in connection with counseling clients in their personal affairs. These services include the preparation of powers of attorney for financial and healthcare matters, as well as living or loving wills. Our firm has extensive experience with pre-nuptial and other marital agreements, property partition agreements, guardianships and the use of management trusts.

Probate/Estate Settlement

We undertake all matters relating to the settlement of an estate, including the probate of the will, inventory and accountings of the estate, and coordinating tax returns. In addition, we represent executors and other fiduciaries, advising them on the proper course of action regarding estate settlement matters. In conflict situations, we represent fiduciaries in judicial proceedings regarding contested probate, investment standards and other proceedings stemming from probate. During the settlement process, we counsel our clients with respect to post-mortem and income tax planning as well as various other matters relating to the estate.

Family Business

Working in collaboration with our corporate practice group, we offer a full range of support to clients during the formation, restructuring, management and sale of all types of businesses, including family-owned businesses. This support includes advising clients on buy-sell and partnership agreements, and key-person life insurance to ensure continuity of the business’ operation in the event of death. In addition, we assist in the coordination of corporate benefits and advise corporate executives on their employment and deferred compensation agreements and stock option plans. Finally, stemming from the restructure of sale of a business, we ensure that the estate plans of our clients and their families are properly modified to coordinate with these developments, in terms of control, tax and gifting issues.

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