Trusts & Estates

We believe that the foundation of a sound attorney-client relationship is trust and confidence.  With this in mind, we work hard to develop strong personal relationships with our clients and assist in educating them in a meaningful way about their estate and succession planning options and opportunities.

When our clients realize that without a properly structured estate, a significant portion could be lost to taxes of one kind or another, they often tell us they wish they had started planning sooner.  We believe that planning should begin as soon as a person reaches adulthood.  Making estate planning a lifetime priority enables a person to take advantage of vehicles such as trusts, partnerships and tax-sheltered accounts that will not only benefit them while they are alive, but also leave their estate in good shape for transfer to their family upon their death.

Brouse McDowell is known for representing a wide array of individuals and families with closely held businesses and substantial wealth and real estate holdings.  Adapting to today’s challenging tax climate, we have developed sophisticated wealth management techniques to defend our clients’ family and individual wealth from erosion by taxes, while ensuring that their companies will be passed on to the next generation in sound condition.

Our clients often seek our advice concerning charitable giving, charitable trusts and questions involving tax-exempt entities such as private foundations.  We have organized numerous private family foundations, created and advised public charities and structured gifts to those organizations.

With an intimate understanding of a client’s personal objectives and a strategy for asset distribution established, we provide the technical assistance necessary to preserve the assets and execute the plan according to the client’s wishes.  Upon the client’s death, we assist in the administration of the estate and the final tax work involving estate tax returns and income taxation of the client’s estate and/or trust.