Trusts & Estates

Overview

“Trusts & Estates” is the colloquial phrase for the umbrella of services we offer in our Wealth Protection and Transfer Practice Group. In fact, we offer an extensive array of services for individuals, business owners, and their families, highlighted by our unique Family Compass for high-net-worth individuals searching for a trusted advisor who can provide the strategy and leadership needed for business succession planning, legacy transfers, and ongoing, comprehensive oversight, without the product sales often associated with this level of advisory services.

Our Team

With an average tenure of over 35 years, the attorneys in our Wealth Protection and Transfer Practice Group reflect the high level of technical expertise and accomplishment that is characteristic of all Boylan Code teams. With four of the attorneys in the Group listed in Best Lawyers in America, Boylan Code has the highest number of attorneys listed for this specialty of any firm in Rochester. Our attorneys and paralegals focus on all aspects of estate and tax planning. We are not simply producers of documents but trusted advisors who work to understand our client’s goals, directions, and life circumstances. Only after we fully grasp what is most important to our clients do we develop comprehensive estate plans that meet all of their needs.

We are well-versed in sophisticated estate planning techniques such as family limited partnerships, charitable lead and remainder trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, private annuities and private foundations, and Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts. Whether our clients are planning the succession of their family business, the transfer of wealth to the next generation, making gifts to charity, or protecting their assets from long-term care costs, our attorneys will devise a strategy that will satisfy their needs in the most tax-efficient way.

We offer our clients our service, experience, and guidance; we sell no products. The advice we give is objective, independent, and tailored to our client’s best interests. We work closely with our client’s existing advisors but also maintain an extensive network of non-legal professionals who are available upon request.

What We Can Help With

Our wide array of estate planning services includes, but is not limited to:

  • Wills, Healthcare Proxies, Powers of Attorney
  • Estate Planning
  • Elder Law & Medicaid Planning/Asset Protection
  • Estate Administration
  • Trust Creation and Administration
  • Tax Planning
  • Business Succession Planning
  • Family Compass
  • Charitable Giving
  • Family Organizations (LLCs, Partnerships, Foundations)

Business Succession Planning

Most business owners meticulously plan and oversee their company’s day-to-day operations. They dedicate the majority of their waking hours and a substantial amount of their finances to their business. In addition to being their most valuable asset, the business is part of who they are and how they define themselves. It is this close connection that owners establish with their businesses that makes it so difficult for them to plan for the sale of their business prior to their actual departure. However, at some point, every owner leaves his or her business, whether voluntarily or otherwise. This is a difficult realization to come to, and many owners avoid thinking about it altogether. However, those who accept this reality and take the necessary steps to develop a successful exit plan will ensure that they receive the highest value for their business and provide financial security for their family.

Boylan Code attorneys specialize in wealth succession planning for business owners and provide consultative services to ensure the transition of assets from one phase of ownership to the next and, ultimately, to successive generations. Whether through the sale of a company, a merger, an acquisition, or the use of other business succession tools such as ESOPs, our attorneys maximize the value of assets in a company and structure deals that provide the greatest benefit to our clients. We provide customized services to business owners and key stakeholders to preserve and transfer wealth to their family members, including wills, estate and tax planning, family organizations, and our specialized “Family Compass” program for high-net-worth individuals. Business owners, shareholders, and executives trust Boylan Code to grow, protect, and transfer their assets.

Family Compass (Planning for High Net Worth Individuals)

The attorneys at Boylan Code recognize the unique planning challenges that high-net-worth individuals face. We have developed a planning methodology that focuses on the big picture and is tailored to the specific goals and directions of each client. The process begins by accumulating all relevant information regarding family assets and previously established estate planning tools. The second phase involves the creation of a family “compass” (think of this as a family mission statement), wherein we work with our clients to develop and identify their personal and professional goals and directions on which their plan is based. The third and final phase is an ongoing maintenance program to ensure that any changes in assets and new planning techniques are seamlessly integrated into the overall planning strategy and family mission. We seek to fill the role of “trusted advisor” for our clients and to be the repository of all planning information, serving as the “quarterback” of each client’s advisory team.

Trusts & Estates Administration

Boylan Code’s Wealth Protection and Transfer Practice Group is highly proficient in the administration of trusts and estates. We provide tailored services to a wide variety of individual and corporate fiduciaries. Our lawyers have specialized experience in advising banking and financial institutions in properly administering their relationships with customers who have fiduciary duties. Our experienced team of paralegals provides efficient and cost-effective services through the use of automated software for the preparation of court forms, tax returns, and accountings.

If you’re interested in learning more about our Elder Law, Medicaid Planning, and Asset Protection Services, please click over to our Elder Law Practice Area page to learn more.