Estate Administration

Guidance from a professional can help make the difficult task of administering an estate easier and more efficient. We guide personal representatives, beneficiaries, trustees, and additional fiduciaries through a wide variety of administrative issues for estates. We often deal with complex estates that contain assets in different jurisdictions both in and outside of the U.S., closely held business interests, and complex family relationship and advise the fiduciaries administering such estates on their myriads of duties.

A well thought out estate plan will streamline the estate administration process, but even if the decedent left no plan, we can help the surviving family members navigate the probate court process and administer the estate well.  Even with an estate plan, sometimes it’s not possible to completely avoid probate.

The probate process can be overwhelming when a loved one passes away. We recognize this and do our utmost to make the process as smooth as possible for the surviving family members.  When probate is needed, we advise fiduciaries on marshalling the decedent’s assets, keeping the property safe, communicating with the beneficiaries and creditors, fulfilling the accounting and reporting requirements. 

An integral part of the reporting requirements is the preparation of the federal and state estate tax returns and navigating the standards and procedures of the IRS and state taxing authorities.  We work with our clients and their advisors to help our clients take advantage of beneficial tax elections and post-mortem planning techniques at what is often a difficult time.