Estate planning, including the planning and administration of trusts and estates, and advising on personal tax, wealth management and financial planning, are personal and sensitive areas requiring dedication, discretion and a keen understanding of the laws as they apply to our clients’ needs. Anderson Kill’s Trusts & Estates professionals handle such important matters creatively and with a comprehensive approach to resolving the sometimes complex wealth management scenarios faced by our clients. 

Our clients include highly compensated or high net worth individuals, owners of successful businesses, and families whom we have represented for generations. We also represent executors and trustees in all aspects of estate and trust administration.  We advise our clients on methods of accumulating, managing, and preserving wealth, as well as on its disposition during life and upon death. Our professionals custom-tailor our approach to our clients’ needs, ranging from simple to very sophisticated plans. We prepare the documents necessary to implement those plans and often assist in their administration.

For individuals, we advise on planning for college education expenses, business succession and for retirement, including the disposition of employee benefits such as stock options, 401(k) and profit sharing plans, and rollover IRAs. We regularly prepare wills, revocable and irrevocable trust agreements, specialized trusts for personal residences, life insurance and other lifetime gifts, charitable trust and foundation instruments, family limited partnership documents, shareholders agreements, instruments for the sale, gift or testamentary transfer of property at discounted values, powers of attorney, health care proxies, living wills, and other documents tailored to achieve our clients’ objectives.

For many clients, we monitor their financial affairs on a current basis and advise them periodically during the year as to tax savings opportunities. We assist clients in building their estates and planning for the transfer of property to beneficiaries in ways that minimize income, gift, and estate taxes.  We regularly attend to the probate of the client’s will, the administration of the estate, the preparation of estate tax returns, fiduciary income tax returns, and the judicial or non-judicial settlement of the executor’s account of proceedings. We work closely with our in-house tax professionals to prepare federal and state gift and estate tax returns, fiduciary income tax returns and personal income tax returns.  We also represent clients before the Internal Revenue Service and State tax authorities on tax audits and appeals.

For businesses, we counsel clients on business succession planning and ways to leverage the values of the business. In addition, we sometimes provide services on a group basis to corporate key executives.

At Anderson Kill, we are acutely aware that clients seek and require more than legal knowledge. Clients expect and value good judgment and the prompt, personal service we have traditionally provided and on which we continue to pride ourselves.

If you would like further information about Anderson Kill’s Trust and Estates Group, please contact James Clements 212-278-1244,  jclements@andersonkill.com.