Our Expertise

Our attorneys have the expertise and experience to handle the complexities and legal intricacies inherent in the estate planning and estate administration process. We are skilled at minimizing the tax burden on our clients. Protection and preservation of our clients’ accumulated wealth is the hallmark of Cors & Bassett’s estate planning and probate group.

In addition, Cors & Bassett’s top-notch planning involves a client education component. Since our clients are introduced to planning concepts, asked the right questions, and involved in planning discussions from the outset of our representation, our expertise is effectively leveraged to provide the highest benefit to our clients.

Services provided include:

Estate, Retirement and Liquidity Planning

• Preparation of wills, living wills and powers of attorney
• Preparation of testamentary and inter vivos trusts
• Crafting of trust dispositions that assure usage of the applicable exemptions from federal and state gift, estate, and generation-skipping taxes
• Utilization of the most current estate planning techniques
• Assistance in planning for distributions from client retirement plans to minimize tax exposure
• Drafting customized beneficiary designations to allow disclaimers, division of accounts, and other post-mortem strategies that achieve family planning goals
• Counseling regarding the selection and ownership of life insurance, including formation of irrevocable life insurance trusts
• Addressing estate liquidity issues to avoid forced liquidation of estate assets in order to pay taxes, debts, or costs of administration
• Preparation of federal and state estate and gift tax returns

Business Succession Planning

• Drafting documents such as buy-sell agreements to restrict transfers or require redemptions and cross purchases in order to assure continuity in management and control
• Advising business owners regarding the process of selecting and training family members or others to succeed to management responsibilities and to implement succession plans to assure effective management

Trust and Estate Administration

• Comprehensive handling of probate and estate administrations
• Non-judicial trust administration in compliance with applicable trust codes and other laws
• Litigation of issues involving the construction and interpretation of wills and trusts

Charitable Planning

• Assistance with procuring non-profit and 501(c)(3) classifications for businesses
• Formation of charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts
• Maximization of tax benefits available under federal and state charitable contribution rules
  

The Cors & Bassett estate planning and probate attorneys believe that top-notch planning often involves a client education component. Since our clients are introduced to planning concepts, asked the right questions, and involved in planning discussions from the outset of our representation, the expertise of our attorneys is effectively leveraged to provide the highest benefit to our clients.