Estate Planning

Estate Planning

SS&B attorneys offer a range of estate planning services, including planning for disability, retirement and death. We consider our clients’ personal needs and family obligations, the nature and value of their assets, and their estate planning objectives. We encourage our clients to consider the impact of their estate planning decisions from both practical and legal perspectives. Personal finances, the continuation of a family business or another closely-held business, charitable goals and the desire for tax savings often influence estate plans.

In the course of designing an estate plan, our attorneys review life insurance, 401(k), IRA and other beneficiary designations to make sure they will help accomplish our client’s objectives. As needed, we provide consultation with respect to business planning, including deferred compensation planning, buy-sell agreements, and other business planning issues that affect tax planning for the executive. We also consult with our employee benefit attorneys with respect to retirement distribution planning. We collaborate with our clients’ other professional advisors, including accountants, actuaries, trust officers, financial planners and insurance representatives.

A complete estate plan may include powers of attorney granting an attorney-in-fact the authority to handle personal and business affairs, the appointment of a health care agent, a living will, a Last Will and Testament, and trusts used for either tax-planning or planning for the special needs of our clients or their families.

Our estate planning practice is limited to jurisdictions where our attorneys hold active licenses -- currently Virginia, Maryland and DC.

Estate Administration

SS&B attorneys have experience with trust and estate administration in Virginia, Maryland and DC. We counsel clients who are preparing and filing of probate petitions, marshalling and managing assets, preparing estate inventories and accountings, liquidating and distributing assets, and filing federal and state individual income tax, fiduciary income tax, and estate tax returns.

Our attorneys seek to provide thoughtful, efficient assistance to those responsible for the administration of estates and trusts. To that end, we seek to determine which tasks are appropriately and effectively handled by our clients, and which are appropriately and effectively handled or supervised by attorneys, accountants or other professionals.

Our estate administration practice extends to clients in Virginia, Maryland and DC.

Representative Clients

  • Business executives and small business owners.
  • Individuals, spouses and members of blended families.
  • Professionals, including doctors, accountants and insurance agents.
  • Investors whose assets are held primarily in tax-qualified retirement plans.
  • Individuals who are parties to premarital agreements or separation agreements.
  • Parents nominating guardians of minor children.
  • Trust beneficiaries, trustees and executors.
  • Philanthropists.

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