Estate and succession planning, oftentimes referred to as wealth transfer planning, are the competencies upon which our firm was initially built.  For over 30 years, we have advised affluent families, business owners and executives on how to optimize the transfer of their assets to family members, business partners, key management or charities. 

Our approach is simple: listen to our clients’ needs and objectives and then apply our expertise to present alternative strategies and clear recommendations.  Our plans take into account charitable inclinations, tax-efficiency, asset protection, desires for control and other personal matters that help us to arrive at a custom-tailored plan for each client’s unique estate and/or succession planning needs.

Services We Provide

• Estate Reduction Strategies
  Taking into account each client’s objectives and preferences, we analyze various estate reduction strategies balancing many factors concurrently.  In addition to our qualitative analysis that lays out the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy, we quantitatively measure planning techniques using financial models for GRATS, defective trusts, charitable trusts, intra-family gifting programs and other planning tools.
• Tax Analysis
  After determining your complete inventory of taxable assets, we can calculate projected estate, income, gift and generation-skipping taxes.  Our models also show clients how much money effective estate planning strategies can save them.
• Succession Plan Analysis
  For owners of closely-held businesses, we serve as trusted advisors in analyzing whether internal management, including family members, has the ability to run the business effectively without current ownership or management.  We help clients design succession plans involving key employees, family members or outside third parties.  Our strategies include sales to family members, management or third parties, lifetime gifting programs and sales to employees on a tax-favored basis.
• Plan Monitoring
  Once our plans are implemented, our job has really just begun.  Our consultants regularly monitor our plans to keep them current with changes in the law, the insurance markets or a client’s personal or business life.