Lifetime planning starts with a careful review of the client's assets, family circumstances, expectations and objectives. Murtha Cullina's attorneys can be particularly helpful in many ways:
- Assisting in the acquisition, management and accumulation of assets. The firm can recommend financial institutions and financial and investment advisors in whom our attorneys have confidence. The firm's attorneys can also help clients manage their personal and financial affairs when family members, other professional advisors and corporate institutions do not meet these needs.
- Gifts to family members and nonprofit organizations are important elements in many estate plans. Our attorneys not only counsel individuals with respect to family gifts and charitable trusts, but they also serve as counsel to nonprofit organizations in developing and implementing planned giving programs.
- Land use and environmental planning can be very important when the client owns undeveloped real estate. Conservation easements and similar techniques can be effective in accomplishing an environmental objective as well as reducing income and estate tax obligations.
- Closely held businesses present special planning challenges, including the necessity of designing and implementing a plan for succession of ownership, often to the next generation, with minimal tax impact.
- Planning for disability insurance and health care has become an important issue for many of our clients. The firm assists clients in creating living wills to make clear their intentions with respect to unwanted health care intervention as well as health care and general powers of attorney to empower family members or other trusted agents to carry out their wishes.
- Planning for retirement starts with an effective method of accumulating retirement funds, usually through tax advantaged retirement programs. The firm's attorneys also assist with careful planning of withdrawal distributions and beneficiary designations which are essential to get the most out of these programs.
