All of our trust and estate attorneys have over twenty (20) years of experience each, and include attorneys certified by the North Carolina State Bar as Board Certified Specialists in Estate Planning and Probate Law.

Estate and Trust Planning

Our attorneys assist individuals and their families with estate and tax planning and strategies to minimize estate, gift and income taxes. We prepare wills, trusts, premarital agreements, powers of attorney and health care directives (such as living wills and health care powers of attorney). We advise clients on the purchase of life insurance, planning for retirement plans and IRAs, the proper titling of assets, charitable planning and designation of beneficiaries to achieve their goals. We also plan for more complex estates utilizing sophisticated estate planning techniques and documents, including various types of living trusts, family limited partnerships and LLCs, insurance trusts, charitable trusts and special needs trusts.

We assist business owners in succession planning to transfer ownership, management and value to their families in a manner that minimizes income, estate and gift taxes.

Estate and Trust Administration

We handle all aspects of estate and trust administration, including qualification of personal representatives and trustees, preparing and filing inventories and accountings for the court and for beneficiaries, planning to minimize income taxes and estate taxes, and preparation of estate tax returns and income tax returns for estates and trusts and their beneficiaries. We assist personal representatives and trustees with their duties and compliance with probate laws.

Estate and Trust Litigation

Our attorneys assist clients with estate litigation, including will contests, family settlement agreements, will and trust interpretations, trust modifications, spousal dissents, and proceedings before the Probate Court.

Attorneys
William P. Benjamin
John T. Higgins, Jr.
Peter J. Miller