Trust and Estate Administration

Estate Planning

McGuireWoods lawyers serve individual clients who seek to transfer assets efficiently to their chosen beneficiaries. As a part of our private client and estate planning services, we help clients consider the impact of federal income, estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes on the transmission of wealth. We develop and implement strategies that can achieve tax savings by establishing trusts for the benefit of family members. Our lawyers also advise individuals and families about the many forms of charitable giving that may be used to reduce taxes.

Our lawyers assist our business clients in transferring ownership and control of their businesses efficiently, using restrictive shareholder and partnership agreements, reorganizations of corporations, and operating agreements of limited liability companies (LLCs), among other strategies.

Additionally, we help clients provide for the special needs of family members, protect the family assets, and assure professional management of these assets. We also provide guidance on premarital and marital dissolution planning.

Estate Administration

In the area of estate and trust administration, we advise executors and trustees, guiding them in all aspects of their fiduciary responsibilities. We regularly counsel clients on related income taxation, as well as gift and estate taxation. With respect to wills and trusts, we represent clients in matters pertaining to their interpretation, litigation and resolution. Furthermore, we rigorously defend valuation and tax audits of estates by the Internal Revenue Services.