Estates and Trusts

Our Estates and Trusts practice group encompasses the full range of estate and tax planning, business succession planing, and estate administration services for individuals, closely-held business owners, trustees, and executors. Reger Rizzo & Darnall LLP offers the advantage of having substantial experience and expertise in handling a range of legal matters of interest to individual clients involving tax-sensitive estate planning, estate administration, and trust administration. We work closely with financial, banking, and insurance professionals to provide coordinated and high quality service to our mutual clients. We also represent fiduciaries and beneficiaries in estate and trust litigation. Our services include:

Estate Planning
Planning for all of life's major changes, including marriage, divorce, birth of a child, purchasing, expanding or selling a business, planning for retirement, the death of a spouse or other family member, and one's own death. We work with our clients regarding:

•Wills;
•Financial powers of attorney;
•Medical powers of attorney;
•Healthcare directives (living wills);
•Establishment of revocable (living) trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, and generation-skipping trusts;
•Establishment of charitable remainder and lead trusts;
•Family limited partnerships; and
•Buy-sell agreements.

Our focus at Reger Rizzo & Darnall LLP is to ensure that the wishes of the client are met in a way that will reduce the degree of uncertainty concerning asset distribution, as well as limit the tax costs associated with making donative transfers, either during life or at death. We counsel our clients on strategies that will allow them to take advantage of the tax-reduction measures that remain available under current income and transfer tax laws.

Estate Administration
When death occurs, Reger Rizzo & Darnall is available to assist in the administration of the decedent's estate, from the initial probate proceedings throught the completion of the administration process. Estate Administration Includes:

•File probate petitions;
•Gather and value estate assets;
•Work with creditors and settle estate debts;
•File state and federal inheritance and estate tax returns;
•File state and federal fiduciary income tax returns and assist in income tax planning for the estate; and
•Distribute assets to beneficiaries or heirs.

The experience and expertise that Reger Rizzo & Darnall LLP provides can be a valuable asset to you during a difficult time.

Orphans' Court Litigation
•Will contests;
•Court accountings and surcharge actions;
•Will and trust interpretations; and
•Guardianship matters.

Reger Rizzo & Darnall LLP is committed to serving the specific needs of each individual client. Through careful listening and attention to detail, we provide our clients with solutions that are tailor-made to their particular needs. It is important for individuals to have counsel who knows their situation and has a clear understanding of the client's priorities and objectives.