Areas of expertise

Family Wealth & Estate Planning

Planning to transfer wealth and assets to loved ones of an individual during life and at death is an important consideration that requires efficient, thorough and personalized planning. This involves determining the appropriate amount and type of assets to be transferred to family members or beneficiaries and the proper method by which to transfer those assets. The purpose is to safeguard not only those assets but the overall well-being of each loved one involved.

Your Local Trusted Authority in Estate Planning,
Probate and Trust Matters

The attorneys in Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP’s Family Wealth & Estate Planning Practice Group take pride in guiding our clients through the important process of protecting their families and their assets.

Once your estate plan is created, its important to review your plans after certain key life events, including marriage, the birth of a child, divorce or the death of a spouse, and a significant increase or decrease in assets. Download our checklist below, to ensure all your ducks are in a row.

Estate Planning Checklist

Ready to schedule an appointment with one of our attorneys? We strive to be mindful of your time, download our estate planning questionnaire before your first meeting. 

Estate Planning Questionnaire 

Single Person

Married

Estate Planning and Trust Services

Our attorneys understand that every estate plan is unique. We offer the highest level of professional expertise in helping our clients tailor an estate plan to meet their needs. Our Family Wealth & Estate Planning Practice Group will make sure your directives are met according to your specifications. At the same time, we will work to minimize your transfer taxes, probate costs and court involvement.  

Special Needs and Elder Law

Special Needs
Families with a disabled beneficiary require special planning to match that beneficiary’s specific needs and provide family members with peace of mind that their loved one will continue to have an elevated quality of life after the primary caregivers pass away. Special needs planning involves the use of customized trusts, which permit a disabled loved one to receive government benefits while receiving an inheritance. With proper planning, family members of disabled loved ones can avoid the dilemma of having to disinherit a disabled individual to maintain that individual’s eligibility for public, need-based assistance.

Elder Law
Our attorneys have extensive experience in helping aging clients (or our clients’ aging loved ones) with a structuring plan that lessens the overall cost of long-term care, ensures a higher quality of life for the individual residing at a nursing facility, and preserves a legacy for future generations. We assist families with understanding the complexities of government benefits like Medicaid and Veteran’s Administration programs like Aid and Attendance.

Read more about Guardianship’s.

Business Succession Planning

Surveys indicate that more than 50% of businesses lack a succession plan and approximately 70% will not survive through the next generation. Our attorneys understand that business succession planning is a critical part of a business owner’s lifetime estate plan. Business owners must make choices about selling or liquidating their business or choosing and training successor management. 

Considerations include:

  • Varying needs, abilities and expectations of family members
  • Differing needs, abilities and expectations of key employees
  • Minimizing taxes and expenses
  • Preserving family harmony

Whether your business is a C Corporation, an S Corporation, an LLC, a partnership, or a sole proprietorship, entity designation can significantly affect what planning opportunities are available to you. Our team will skillfully guide you through the determination of the choice of entity to maximize the success of your business succession planning.

Read more about how we can help your business.

Probate and Trust Administration

The attorneys in Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP’s Family Wealth & Estate Planning Group understand the sensitive nature of representing a family member who has recently lost a loved one. We manage the details and complexities of estate administration while we guide our clients through the entire probate process.

We practice in all areas of Probate Law including:

  • Probate & Estate Administration
  • Guardianship
  • Step-parent Adoption
  • Probate Litigation
  • Probate Mediation
  • Will Contests
  • Wrongful Death Claims

How can we help you today?

Give us a call or send a message with any inquiries and legal questions.

614.228.6135

Contact us