Dudnick Detwiler Rivin & Stikker LLP offers a broad range of services relating to estate planning and the administration of trusts and estates. Our trusts and estate specialist, Tom Stikker, has substantial expertise in the areas of income and transfer (estate, gift and generation-skipping) tax planning for individuals and families.
Rejecting any "canned" or standardized approach, we address each client's circumstances in a fresh and innovative manner, tailoring our services to a particular client's personal goals and wishes. Our role is to assist clients in accomplishing significant tax savings in connection with the transfer of property to family members, providing financial security for family members both before and after the death of a client, selecting the appropriate persons or institutions to serve as fiduciaries (executors, trustees, guardians and conservators), preserving and transferring business and other unique assets in a fair and efficient manner, reducing the costs and expenses of transferring property both during lifetime and at death, and reducing or eliminating the family strife and conflict which often arises in the context of trusts and estates.
Estate Planning
The estate planning process is approached on a case-by-case basis and, in appropriate situations, includes the preparation of wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, and durable powers of attorney for health care and asset management, and advice and services regarding disability and life insurance coverage and various tax-advantageous methods to structure employment and retirement benefits, lifetime gifts to meet family and tax-oriented goals, and charitable gift planning.
Our estate planning services encompass a variety of areas, including the legal aspects of financial and retirement planning, planning for the preservation and orderly transfer of closely-held business interests, planning for developmentally disabled family members or other individuals with special needs, and preparing pre- and post-marital property agreements, as well as similar agreements between unmarried individuals.
Estate and Trust Administration
The firm's extensive estate and trust administration practice includes representing personal representatives, corporate fiduciaries, trustees and beneficiaries in both probate and non-probate proceedings involving estates and trusts and in the areas of guardianships for minors and conservatorships for incompetent adults.
Probate and Trust Litigation
We frequently represent interested parties in contested matters involving estates, trusts and conservatorships and in tax litigation.
Other practice areas:
Business Law
Real Estate
Taxation
Trusts & Estates
Commerical Litigation