As family relationships and generational wealth become increasingly more complicated to manage, KTC’s Estate Planning & Trusts Department helps guide each client by applying personalized strategies to their unique situation.
We counsel our clients on every aspect of estate planning, from preparing essential estate planning documents including wills, revocable living trusts, and powers of attorney, to developing and implementing advanced estate planning and wealth transfer plans. These might include qualified residence trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, life insurance trusts, private foundations or charitable trusts, and family holding companies. We also advise and assist fiduciaries in administering probate estates and trusts, including gift and estate tax matters with the Internal Revenue Service. Additionally, although no one’s first choice is litigation, when a trust or estate dispute does arise, we are highly experienced in vigorously advocating for our clients.
Many of our clients are multi-generational and have been with us for decades. We are honored and privileged to work with these families—large and small, new and old—from all corners of the Pacific Northwest.
Our Estate Planning & Trusts services include the following:
Essential Estate Planning
Wills
Revocable living trusts
Durable powers of attorney
Health-care directives and proxies
Directives for the disposition of remains
Probate, Trust Settlement and Administration
Representation of Personal Representatives
Representation of Trustees of revocable and irrevocable trusts
Representation of beneficiaries of estates and trusts
Internal Revenue Service matters
Advanced Planning Techniques
Irrevocable life insurance trusts
Grantor retained annuity trusts
Qualified personal residence trusts
Special-needs trusts
Gifting trusts
Gift, Estates and Generation-Skipping Transfer Taxation
Advice and planning to minimize taxation
Family Business and Succession Planning
Transfer of control to key employees or family members
Transfer of wealth to next generation
Planning to minimize taxes on sale or transfer
Family Capital Management Planning
Multigenerational planning, using family limited-liability companies (LLCs) or family-run corporations integrated with family trusts and gifting strategies
Income Tax Services and Return Preparation
Personal
Fiduciary
Partnership
Corporate
Charitable
Charitable Planning
Charitable remainder and lead trusts
Donor-directed funding
Private family foundations (formation and administration)
Nonprofit corporations
Public charities
Trusts and Estates Disputes
Trust and probate litigation
Will contests
Planning for Retirement
The planned use of life insurance, disability insurance, and long-term care insurance
Retirement benefits and maximization of positive tax treatment
Domestic Partnership Agreements and Representation
Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements
KTC’s estate planning lawyers have remained long-standing community leaders. They include trustees and board members of local bar and other associations including the American College of Trusts and Estates Council. Department members are frequent speakers for professional organizations, county and state bar associations. Additionally, they have testified as expert witnesses, have served as mediators in estate disputes, and have assisted the court as special masters.
