Family arrangements must work now and later
Estate and family matters both involve long-term relationships, control of assets and consequential personal decisions. We consider legal procedure, financial records and the family’s practical needs together to build an arrangement that can be implemented and sustained.
Estate planning, trusts and administration
- Wills, trusts, powers of attorney and health-care directives
- Beneficiary, ownership and succession arrangements
- Probate, intestate administration and estate disputes
- Business interests, real estate, investment accounts and multistate assets
- Duties of executors, trustees and administrators
Divorce and family law
- Contested or uncontested divorce, separation and marital agreements
- Allocation of marital property, debt and business interests
- Spousal maintenance, child support and expense arrangements
- Custody, visitation and parenting time
- Protective orders and related family-safety issues
Complex assets need their own record
High-net-worth families may hold businesses, real estate, retirement and investment accounts, trusts and cross-border assets. Title, ownership, acquisition date and source of funds can matter as much as the current balance.
Our approach
Confirm jurisdiction, current orders and urgent issues; build an asset and family fact record; compare agreement, mediation and litigation; and consider the long-term effect on the family, business and children.
Before a consultation
Bring existing wills or trusts, an asset-and-debt list, marriage and court records, tax and account statements, real-estate and business records, and information relevant to parenting arrangements.
Planning a family trust
For revocable and irrevocable trusts, property funding, children and cross-border considerations, see family trusts, wills and wealth transfer.