National Trust and Estate Planning
Favorable laws make Delaware an ideal jurisdiction for trust and estate planning. Our Private Wealth lawyers routinely establish, modify, and opine on Delaware trusts. We advise clients on how to accomplish their estate planning goals through the use of Delaware trusts. Our attorneys assist clients in understanding and establishing optimal estate planning strategies using Delaware law for their individual circumstances, including directed trusts, dynasty trusts, and self-settled asset protection trusts.
Representation of Fiduciaries
Our GF&M Private Wealth group advises corporate and individual fiduciaries, and estate executors and administrators, regarding trust and estate administration in Delaware, and compliance with their fiduciary duties and responsibilities.
We also advise fiduciaries, including trustees, executors, and administrators, in fiduciary litigation matters. Our lawyers are skilled advocates with decades of experience in the Delaware Court of Chancery, the U.S. Tax Court, and other state and federal courts, and have represented fiduciaries in a broad spectrum of matters, including seeking construction of trust provisions and defending fiduciaries in actions for breach of fiduciary duties.
Local Estate Planning
Estate planning requires sensitivity, creativity, and intellect. Our attorneys work closely with our clients and their external private wealth advisors and accountants to understand the personal goals and financial profile of each person. We work with many clients throughout the course of their lives and even across multiple generations of a family, fostering long-term relationships based on earned trust and high-quality representation.
Effective estate planning eliminates uncertainties about how a client’s assets will be protected in the event of incapacity or death, maximizes the value of an estate by reducing taxes and other expenses, and ensures that the client’s wishes are fulfilled. At GF&M, our attorneys help to safeguard our clients’ legacy for themselves and future generations.
Estate Administration
After the death of a loved one, the process of administering their estate can be overwhelming. The GF&M Private Wealth attorneys are sensitive to the difficulties of this process and also understand what is practically and legally required to efficiently administer estates. We work with the personal representatives and trustees to ensure that the deceased’s assets are protected and distributed in accordance with the law and the terms of their documents. Our attorneys routinely assist with the distribution of real and personal property, investment accounts, and business interests, including the design and implementation of business succession plans.
