Trusts & Estates

Hancock & Estabrook provides expert advice in Trusts and Estates, including the following:

Estate Planning

We advise clients on estate planning opportunities tailored to specific family situations. We prepare documents to meet the needs and objectives of our clients emphasizing tax planning and preservation of assets including:

• Wills
• Testamentary Trusts
• Life Insurance Trusts
• Qualified Personal Residence Trusts
• Charitable Trusts
• Asset Preservation Planning Trusts
• Supplemental Needs Trusts
• Revocable Trusts
• Powers of Attorney
• Living Wills
• Health Care Proxies
• DNRs (Do Not Resuscitate Orders)

Other Services

• Business Succession Planning - Our attorneys advise clients who wish to transfer closely held family businesses, insuring a smooth transaction from one generation to the next.
• Estates and Trusts Administration - We represent clients in the Surrogate's Court throughout the state in matters of estate and trust administration.
• Estates Litigation - We represent clients (as petitioners or respondents) in the Surrogate's Court throughout the State in contested proceedings such as accounting proceedings, discovery proceedings, construction of wills and trust agreements, will contests and other litigated matters.
• Retirement Planning - Our attorneys advise clients on beneficiary designations and distributions from retirement plans to meet individual goals.
• Charitable Giving - We help clients obtain the maximum benefit available from charitable giving with plans that include charitable trusts and private family foundations.
• Tax Planning - Hancock & Estabrook advises clients on estate tax, gift tax and fiduciary income tax matters. We represent our clients in contested tax matters before both federal and state taxing authorities.
• Tax Practice Group - Will advise on other tax issues that might arise in the planning and administration of trusts and estate.

For information on the New Requirements Under IRS Circular 230, click here