ESTATE PLANNING & PROBATE

The firm assists clients with planning for the efficient transfer of assets at death, and in planning for a possible disability. The lawyers who practice in this area also represent trustees, and executors and other personal representatives in the administration of trusts and estates. Services performed include:

• Estate Planning. All facets of estate planning, which encompasses the drafting and planning for the disposition of wealth through the use of various planning techniques, including wills, lifetime gifts, intra-family sales, life insurance and other trusts, family limited partnerships, limited liability companies, healthcare designations, powers of attorney, and directives to physicians, and related planning.
  
• Business Continuation Planning. Planning for owners of closely held businesses, including formation of closely held businesses, buy-sell agreements, split-dollar life insurance agreements, business recapitalizations, and non-qualified deferred compensation agreements.
  
• Charitable Gift Planning. Charitable split-interest trusts, charitable gift annuities, and creation of exempt organizations in connection with charitable estate planning.
  
• Estate and Trust Administration. Administration of trusts and estates, including dependent, independent, and ancillary probate procedures, guardianships, income tax planning, preparation of U.S. estate and Texas inheritance tax returns, audit negotiations with agents of the Internal Revenue Service, preparation of tax protests, and private letter ruling requests.
  
• Fiduciary Representation and Estate and Trust Controversy Matters. Representing fiduciaries and coordinating fiduciary litigation matters, including fiduciary liability issues, will contests, and trust modification and construction issues.
  
• Marital Property Issues. Texas community property system and related marital property matters, including premarital and post-marital partition and property agreements between spouses.