Estate Planning & Administration

Effective estate planning can reduce uncertainty and give individuals and families greater confidence as they preserve, manage, and transfer their wealth and values. As a full-service law firm with offices across North America, Dickinson Wright assists clients with tax and estate planning, trust administration, and business succession. Recognizing the personal and often complex nature of these matters, our team takes a comprehensive approach focused on achieving each client’s tax and non-tax objectives.

Our Team

Dickinson Wright’s estate planning and administration lawyers are recognized by clients and peers for their experience and commitment to client service. The practice has been ranked by the Chambers High Net Worth Guide, and members of the team have been recognized by Chambers®, Super Lawyers®, Best Lawyers®, and other leading organizations. Several members of the team are also Fellows of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

Our Services

Estate, Wealth Transfer, and Tax Planning

We advise individuals and families on testamentary planning, wealth transfer, and tax-efficient strategies, including:

• Wills
• Revocable trusts
• Irrevocable trusts, including:
  • Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts
  • Charitable Remainder Trusts
  • Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts
  • Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts
  • Qualified Personal Residence Trusts
  • Perpetual dynasty trusts
  • Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts, including annual exclusion trusts for grandchildren and other loved ones

Business Ownership and Succession Planning

We help business owners plan for the ownership, succession, and transfer of closely held companies through:

• Choice of entity
• Buy-sell agreements
• Stock bonus and option agreements
• Tax-free distributions

Personal and Family Planning

We advise clients on personal financial and family matters, including:

• Powers of attorney
• Medical directives
• Asset protection planning, including Domestic Asset Protection Trusts
• Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements

Estate and Trust Administration

Our lawyers assist fiduciaries and beneficiaries with:

• Probate administration
• Trust administration
• Post-mortem tax advice
• Tax-saving elections, credits, and disclaimers

Tax Compliance

We assist clients with tax compliance matters involving:

• Federal estate and gift tax returns, including Forms 706 and 709
• Individual, trust, and estate income tax returns, including Forms 1040 and 1041
• Tax returns for closely held businesses and tax-exempt organizations
• Government audits and investigations

Representative Matters

• Developed and implemented estate plans for the management and transfer of assets during life and at death, helping clients reduce unnecessary taxation, preserve privacy, and protect loved ones.
• Created flexible planning arrangements designed to reduce risks associated with potential federal estate tax liability.
• Advised clients on strategies to defer and minimize income taxes arising from retirement plan distributions.
• Assisted individuals who were contemplating marriage or already married with protecting assets and loved ones through marital agreements, trusts, and other enforceable arrangements.
• Helped owners of closely held family businesses transfer ownership to the next generation through gifts and sales of business interests structured to preserve cash flow for the senior generation and shift future growth to the next generation.
• Structured tax-leveraged and interest-rate-sensitive transactions to transfer appreciating assets to the next generation while minimizing gift tax consequences.
• Helped clients carry out charitable objectives through tax-efficient outright gifts, charitable lead and remainder trusts, private foundations, donor-advised funds, and supporting organizations.