Find Lawyers in Oregon, United States for Trusts and Estates
Practice Area Overview
How Can a Trusts and Estates Attorney Help You?
Trust and estate attorneys help clients plan for the efficient and effective transfer of assets to spouses, to younger generation family members, to other persons clients wish to benefit, and to charities. The practice involves the preparation of trust agreements, wills, powers of attorney, medical directives, and closely held business structures, including partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations.
What are the Trusts and Estates Practices Focal Points?
Wealth Planning
When attorneys begin the planning process, they consider your objectives, your family relationships, charitable inclinations, and the relationship of federal and state estate tax, gift tax, and generation skipping transfer tax laws to these objectives. Attorneys then work with you and, in some cases, with other advisers to design the appropriate plan to meet your goals and objectives, prepare the necessary documents to carry out the desired plan, and assist with the implementation of your plan. In connection with family wealth planning, attorneys plan and draft trust agreements and wills, create various business entities, and carry out business reorganizations.
Estate Administration
Trust and estate attorneys also handle the administration of estates. Attorneys confer with members of a decedent’s family on the various issues, including:
• Assistance to the executor with the preparation of the required probate documents and assist in valuation of estate assets
• Making insurance claims
• Preparation of final income tax returns and the estate’s income and federal and state estate tax returns
• Monitoring of the investment of the estate’s assets
• Arranging for the distribution of the estate’s net assets
• Throughout the administration of an estate, consideration is given to income tax savings through the timing of distributions and the timing and claiming of appropriate deductions.
Trust Administration
In the trust administration area, attorneys advise and consult with corporate and individual trustees concerning the discharge of the trust’s terms and consult with beneficiaries concerning trust administration matters including the preparation of trust accounts.
Trust and Estate attorneys also assist clients in all phases of probate and trust litigation. This may involve construing or reforming the terms of a will or trust, prosecuting or defending a will contest action or surcharge actions against trustees.
What is a Trusts and Estates attorneys goal for its clients?
The goal of an trust and estate attorney is to assist clients to achieve their personal goals while obtaining the significant tax savings which may be available to them through proper planning. Attorneys in the practice spend a significant amount of time dealing with the federal estate, gift, and generation skipping tax issues involved in transfer planning.
Deanna is an experienced attorney providing advice and counsel to clients in the areas of: estate and tax planning, probate and trust administration (including tax compliance), guardianship and conservatorship matters, entity formation, governance and general business planning, as well as associated commercial and residential real estate transactions. Her clients range from individuals with modest to high-net worth estates, corporations to family-owned businesses, as well as fiduciaries and b...
Heather Guthrie is a partner at Dunn Carney who focuses on estate planning and administration. She leads the firm’s Estate Planning and Administration Team. Heather’s practice includes developing comprehensive plans for estates of all sizes, with an emphasis on legacy-building for families and individuals using complex tax-planning strategies. Heather also assists clients in establishing and administering guardianships and conservatorships, and through probate and post-mortem trus...
Joshua E. Husbands is a partner in Holland & Knight’s Portland office and a member of the firm's Private Wealth Services Group. He often serves as outside general counsel for private companies and their owners, representing clients in an array of business, tax, business succession and estate planning matters, including business reorganizations, acquisitions and divestitures. He frequently writes and speaks on business, tax, life insurance and asset protection matters concerning busi...
Professional Experience President, Carolyn W. Miller, P.C., Portland, Oregon 2001 - present Partner, Duffy Kekel, llp, Portland, Oregon 1982 - 2001 Carolyn's practice is solely concentrated in estate planning, probate, trust administration, taxation of estates, trusts and individuals, charitable planning and administration, tax exempt organizations and private foundations. Recognized as a leader in the estate planning community, Carolyn was elected to the American College of Trust and Estate ...
Katherine VanZanten is an estate planning and tax attorney who has significant experience in estate planning, business and tax planning, charitable remainder trusts and establishing charitable organizations. Katherine has an active estate planning practice helping clients and their families complete their estate planning goals. She regularly advises fiduciaries on their duties with respect to trust and probate administration.
Steven Bell focuses his practice on the creation and administration of complex trusts to meet business succession planning, tax planning, and family needs, and in charitable gift planning for both individual donors and for tax-exempt entities. Through his practice, Steve helps clients create customized structures to preserve and perpetuate closely held businesses and to meet diverse objectives. Steve brings innovative solutions to multifaceted issues that can arise in the administration of ir...
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