When handling estate planning for individuals, Dykema attorneys focus on surpassing a client’s financial, tax, and personal goals. We represent clients ranging from corporate executives and principals of closely held businesses to retired individuals, U.S. citizens residing abroad and foreign nationals with domestic interests. Our attorneys are sensitive to the fact that client decisions affect not only the client, but also family and other intended beneficiaries.

Our services include:

• Counseling on estate, gift, income, and generation-skipping transfer tax issues
• Preparing personalized estate planning documents such as wills, revocable living trusts, irrevocable trusts, generation-skipping trusts, insurance trusts, charitable trusts, various grantor and personal residence trusts, and powers of attorney for financial matters and for medical treatment decisions
• Representing clients on income, gift, estate and other tax matters before the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Tax Court, the State’s Department of Treasury, Tax Tribunal and other courts and agencies
• Representing fiduciaries in the administration of estates and trusts
• Establishing foundations and other charitable giving programs
• Advocating in will contests and other litigation involving estates, trusts, conservatorships and guardianships
• Providing legislative support, including drafting proposed legislation and testifying before Congress
• Litigation in all federal and state courts
• Sophisticated tax and succession planning for owners of closely held businesses
• Preparing family limited partnerships and limited liability companies
• Counseling on retirement distribution taxes
• Pre- and post-marital agreement negotiations
• Preparing Federal and state tax returns required due to death
• Post-mortem tax planning to replace or enhance prior-death planning

Asset Protection Services
We find that many of our individual clients, especially physicians, corporate executives and principals of closely held businesses and other professionals face a disproportionate exposure to lawsuits. Our attorneys are sensitive to these increased risks and we advise our clients on protective measures intended to preserve their assets. We employ an integrated planning process using internal expertise and external alliances to create sound and effective solutions for our clients.

Dykema attorneys are experienced in structuring integrated asset protection, wealth preservation and estate planning strategies appropriate for each client’s individual objectives and needs. Asset protection and preservation planning can range from the mere identification of potential exposure and risk assessment, to the implementation of a plan designed to diversify concentrated asset risk. Using both domestic and global components, a complete plan can be established to provide individuals with strong asset protection that is integrated into an estate plan and investment program. Those clients who have elected to establish and use an asset and wealth preservation plan realize a variety of benefits while the tax consequences of the plan are generally neutral. When an asset protection plan is integrated with estate planning, there may be significant tax advantages.

For more information about our Estate Planning and Administration practice, please contact:
Mike Cumming, Leader 248-203-0740