Hallett & Perrin provides sophisticated estate planning, probate administration, and trustee services. With a focus on tax efficiency and a comprehensive plan, we work with unique family circumstances to develop and deliver coordinated advice and services for families, non-profits, and public and private foundations.
Our estate planning attorneys 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. Our estate plans often include the use of annual exclusions, unified credit deductions, family limited partnerships, wills, generation skipping trusts, and insurance trusts. We also provide planning services and prepare appropriate documents addressing:
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. Finally, our attorneys counsel our clients regarding post-mortem and income tax planning as well as various other matters relating to the estate.
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.
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.
Trusts & Estates