Practice Areas
How we can help.
Six areas of practice, handled by the same two attorneys from the first conversation to the final signature.
01 · Practice Area
Estate Planning
An estate plan is the set of documents that says who will receive your property, who will manage your affairs if you cannot, and who will make decisions on your behalf. For most families that means a will, sometimes a trust, and powers of attorney.
Not sure whether you need a will or a trust? The answer depends on your family and what you own. We take the time to get to know you, understand your family, and thoroughly review your asset information before recommending the plan that fits your goals.
If a trust is part of the plan, we also explain what it means to fund it. Funding a trust means retitling accounts and property into the trust’s name so the trust actually controls those assets. A trust that is signed but never funded may not do what you expected.
- Wills
- Revocable and irrevocable trusts
- Powers of attorney
- Review of beneficiary designations
- Planning for a family or small business
- Updating an existing plan after a change in family or finances
02 · Practice Area
Probate Estates
Probate is the court process for settling a person’s affairs after death: proving the will if there is one, appointing someone to act for the estate, paying debts and taxes, and distributing what remains to the people entitled to it. The person the court appoints is called an executor or administrator.
In legal terms, that person is a fiduciary. A fiduciary is someone legally required to act in the interest of others, in this case the estate and its beneficiaries, rather than in their own. If you have been named in that role, you are not expected to know the process already.
We provide guidance to fiduciaries in estate and probate matters to make sure that assets are properly identified, all necessary documents and tax returns are filed, costs of administration and taxes are paid, and beneficiaries receive their designated share.
- Opening the estate with the court
- Identifying and valuing the estate’s assets
- Notice to creditors and beneficiaries
- Paying debts, costs of administration, and taxes
- Preparing the required documents and tax returns
- Distributing assets and closing the estate
03 · Practice Area
Trust Administration
A trust does not run itself. When the person who created a trust dies or can no longer act, there are still steps the trustee must take to administer it: gather and protect the trust assets, keep records, communicate with beneficiaries, handle tax matters, and eventually distribute everything to which the beneficiaries are entitled.
A revocable trust is one the person who created it can change or cancel during their lifetime. An irrevocable trust generally cannot be changed once it is in place, and it comes with its own set of rules. We advise trustees on the administration of both revocable and irrevocable trusts.
Like an executor, a trustee is a fiduciary, responsible for acting in the beneficiaries’ interest rather than their own. That responsibility can feel heavy, especially for a family member who did not ask for the job. We help trustees understand what the trust requires and carry it out properly.
- Reviewing the trust document and the trustee’s duties
- Collecting and retitling trust assets
- Notices and communication with beneficiaries
- Record-keeping and accountings
- Trust tax matters
- Final distributions and closing the trust
04 · Practice Area
Business and Contracts
We assist companies with all aspects of the business cycle, beginning with entity formation and including company development and, in some cases, dissolution. Whether you are starting out, growing, bringing in a partner, or winding down, we work closely with you to understand and develop your business strategy so the legal work supports it.
Forming an entity, such as a limited liability company or a corporation, separates the business from you personally and sets the rules for how it is owned and run. After formation the entity has to be maintained: keeping the required records, holding the meetings its documents call for, and filing what needs to be filed. Those corporate formalities matter, and we help clients keep up with them.
Contracts are the other half of the work. Agreements with customers, vendors, landlords, and business partners are easier to live with when they are drafted or reviewed before you sign.
- Entity formation, including LLCs and corporations
- Operating agreements and bylaws
- Maintaining corporate formalities
- Contract drafting and review
- Company development and growth
- Dissolution and winding down
05 · Practice Area
Real Estate
Looking to buy, sell, or develop real estate? Our lawyers can assist you on residential or commercial real estate matters, from a first home to an investment property or a development project.
For many people the unfamiliar step is the title opinion. A title opinion is an attorney’s written review of the property’s title records. It confirms who owns the property and identifies anything that could affect your ownership, such as an old mortgage or an easement, so it can be addressed before you close. Closing, sometimes called settlement, is the point at which documents are signed, funds are exchanged, and ownership changes hands.
We provide a range of services, including review and preparation of purchase agreements, negotiations, title opinions, and closing and settlement services.
- Purchase agreements, drafted or reviewed
- Negotiation of terms
- Title opinions
- Deeds and closing documents
- Closing and settlement services
- Real estate development matters
06 · Practice Area
Guardianship and Conservatorship
Sometimes a person cannot manage their own affairs. It may be a child, an adult with a disability, or an older parent whose health has changed. When that happens, a court can appoint someone to help. A guardian makes personal decisions: where the person lives, and the food, shelter, and medical treatment they receive. A conservator manages money and property. One person may serve in both roles, or they may be separate people.
Before going to court, it is worth checking whether a court proceeding is needed at all. If the person already signed a power of attorney while they were able to, the agent named in it may be able to handle what is needed without a guardianship or conservatorship.
When a court proceeding is the right path, we help the family through it. It is a serious step, because it affects another person’s independence, and the court treats it that way. Once appointed, a guardian or conservator is a fiduciary who answers to the court, and we help with that ongoing responsibility as well.
- Talking through whether a court proceeding is necessary
- Petitioning the court for appointment
- Guardianships for minors and adults
- Conservatorships
- Reports and accountings to the court
- Modifying or ending a guardianship or conservatorship
Call now to request an appointment