Estate Planning and Administration

Whether you need complex estate plans and trusts or a simple will, we can help you with your estate planning needs including:

Estate gift advice
Income tax planning
Revocable trusts to avoid probate
Complex trusts and estates administration and settlement
Powers of attorney

Large estate probate
Will and trust contests
Wealth transfer asset protection
Medicaid and eldercare planning

Understanding the process

Estate planning can be a daunting process. However, it is really a matter of making plans and decisions that will make life easier for your loved ones after you are gone. Following are some simple definitions of estate planning terms.

Wills

Every estate plan should include a will making your wishes known with regard to your property, personal representative for the probate process, and guardians for your minor children.

Trusts

A trust may enable you to pass along your property through a more private process, give you greater control or have other benefits. We handle revocable and irrevocable trusts, including living trusts.

Living wills and medical surrogates

With these documents, you can make your wishes known regarding your preference for life-saving medical treatments or end-of-life provisions, and which trusted person you select to implement those wishes.

Powers of attorney

If you are concerned that you may lose the capacity to care for yourself, a power of attorney allows you to name a person to act on your behalf and protect your interests.

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Estate administration

Even if the deceased died with a will, there still may be issues that need to be resolved. We guide families through each step of probate. In some cases, disputes arise during the probate process. For instance, there may be disputes about debts, the existence of a valid will, or the status of a family member not named in the will. Experienced litigators David W. Tyree or C. Donald Gates can represent your interests in a probate dispute.

We represent clients in estate administration actions including:

Proving that a deceased person's will is valid in court
Paying debts and taxes
Identifying and inventorying the deceased person's property
Appraising the property

Terminating trusts
Handling small estates
Distributing the remaining property according to the will

We represent clients in contested wills that involve fraud, undue influence, or mental incapacity of the testator. We provide legal assistance to executors, conservators, and trustees by helping them with their administrative duties.

David W. Tyree, PC and C. Donald Gates also offer representation for individuals and corporate entities in claims against estates.

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Trust than spans generations

Experienced estate planning lawyers, David W. Tyree or C. Donald Gates can explain all of your options and their consequences to you and your loved ones. Generations of families have trusted the knowledge and experience in estate planning and administration to these attorneys. Now you can tap into this wealth of legal knowledge to protect yourself and your family.

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