Estate Planning and Administration/Tax Issues

Seiller Waterman represents individuals and families in all matters pertaining to the ownership and transfer of family wealth.

The Firm's Estate Planningand Administration practice helps clients to define their wealth transfer objectives considering relevant legal and tax rules and to create an estate plan that accomplishes these objectives.

Seiller Waterman informs clients of the options available to them, helping clients chose among these options, and ensuring that clients understand their estate plans and the practical impact of those plans on their beneficiaries.

The attorneys in the Estate Planning and Administration practice follow a multidisciplinary approach bringing together the business, real estate, and other expertise of attorneys throughout the Firm.

The Firm has developed and implemented tax-sensitive planning techniques for individuals and families as well as for large and complex estates. The Firm offers a full range of services relating to probate matters and the administration of estates and trusts. As part of this process, Seiller Waterman routinely works with clients to establish private foundations, or otherwise meet their charitable goals.

In addition to estate planning, Seiller Waterman regularly counsels and represents personal representatives and trustees in all phases of the administration of estates and trusts, including preparation of the estate tax return, consideration of disclaimers, and other post-mortem tax planning.

Seiller Waterman also litigates estate and gift-related issues.

The Estate Planning and Administration practice represents individuals, estates, and fiduciaries with assets ranging from under $2 million to over $1 billion.

In its day-to-day practice, Seiller Waterman represent estates, trusts, guardians and conservators of individuals under disability and charitable foundations, and other not-for-profit organizations, including educational and social service institutions.

Many of the individuals and families represented by the Firm on family wealth matters are the principals of family-owned and closely held business entities; others own substantial interests in publicly-traded business enterprises. Frequently, this representation extends to several generations within a family, facilitating comprehensive planning with regard to the family's long-term objectives, such as creating Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs), Qualified Personal Residence Trusts (QPRTs), and other family entities.

Seiller Waterman also advises institutional clients, including banks and others regarding federal, state, and international tax issues, will construction, and trust reformation for tax and non-tax purposes. Seiller Waterman often advises charitable organization clients, including large and small private foundations, supporting organizations, medical research organizations, and single-philanthropist schools. The advice generally focuses on federal and state tax law, relevant corporate or trust law, and complex endowment investments.