Best Lawyers in South Carolina, United States for Trusts and Estates
Practice Area Overview
How Can a Trusts and Estates Attorney Help You?
Trust and estate attorneys help clients plan for the efficient and effective transfer of assets to spouses, to younger generation family members, to other persons clients wish to benefit, and to charities. The practice involves the preparation of trust agreements, wills, powers of attorney, medical directives, and closely held business structures, including partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations.
What are the Trusts and Estates Practices Focal Points?
Wealth Planning
When attorneys begin the planning process, they consider your objectives, your family relationships, charitable inclinations, and the relationship of federal and state estate tax, gift tax, and generation skipping transfer tax laws to these objectives. Attorneys then work with you and, in some cases, with other advisers to design the appropriate plan to meet your goals and objectives, prepare the necessary documents to carry out the desired plan, and assist with the implementation of your plan. In connection with family wealth planning, attorneys plan and draft trust agreements and wills, create various business entities, and carry out business reorganizations.
Estate Administration
Trust and estate attorneys also handle the administration of estates. Attorneys confer with members of a decedent’s family on the various issues, including:
• Assistance to the executor with the preparation of the required probate documents and assist in valuation of estate assets
• Making insurance claims
• Preparation of final income tax returns and the estate’s income and federal and state estate tax returns
• Monitoring of the investment of the estate’s assets
• Arranging for the distribution of the estate’s net assets
• Throughout the administration of an estate, consideration is given to income tax savings through the timing of distributions and the timing and claiming of appropriate deductions.
Trust Administration
In the trust administration area, attorneys advise and consult with corporate and individual trustees concerning the discharge of the trust’s terms and consult with beneficiaries concerning trust administration matters including the preparation of trust accounts.
Trust and Estate attorneys also assist clients in all phases of probate and trust litigation. This may involve construing or reforming the terms of a will or trust, prosecuting or defending a will contest action or surcharge actions against trustees.
What is a Trusts and Estates attorneys goal for its clients?
The goal of an trust and estate attorney is to assist clients to achieve their personal goals while obtaining the significant tax savings which may be available to them through proper planning. Attorneys in the practice spend a significant amount of time dealing with the federal estate, gift, and generation skipping tax issues involved in transfer planning.
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Mr. August is a shareholder in the firm. Mr. August has been with the firm since 1994. He is a certified specialist in the fields of both Taxation Law, and Estate Planning and Probate by The Supreme Court of South Carolina. He is listed in the book The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of Bursiness Organizations, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Tax Law, and Trusts and Estates Law. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree, magna cum laude ...
John Chase is a certified specialist in estate planning and probate law in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Charleston office. John's services are geared to the preservation and orderly disposition of family businesses and large estates. He represents individuals, trusts and trust departments concerning challenges to estate plans. Advising business owners and clients on the best tax and financing structures for purchases and sales of business assets is also a strong focus of John's practice.
Frank Cureton is a certified specialist in Taxation Law, as well as a shareholder in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Columbia office. He represents taxable entities and tax-exempt organizations in planning acquisitions, financing structures, mergers, spin-offs and dispositions. Frank works closely with Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Public Finance team. His practice also includes estate planning and individual tax planning, particularly for owners of family businesses and professional practices as they ...
Donny Dial is a tax attorney in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Columbia office, where he works with many businesses in all areas of tax planning. He helps families with sophisticated techniques, such as leveraged gifts and family-limited partnerships that reduce estate taxes and the costs of probate.
RANDY E. FISHER is an attorney with the law firm of Thomas & Fisher, P.A. in Greenville, South Carolina. He practices in the areas of taxation, estate planning, trusts and estates, probate, partnership, limited liability company and corporate law, and mergers and acquisitions. He is a certified specialist in the fields of both Taxation Law, and Estate Planning and Probate Law by The Supreme Court of South Carolina. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of Taxation Law,...
A co-founder of the firm, John Gettys’ wide-ranging practice focuses on real estate, probate administration, probate litigation and personal injury. He is a preferred closing attorney for some the area’s best-known developers and builders, handling all types of residential real estate closings from purchases to re-finances and home equity lines of credit. John is an experienced probate litigator. He regularly assists clients with pursuing guardianships and conservatorships for chi...
Jenny Heichelbech works to save her estate planning clients money and headaches by structuring their estate plans in a way that protects their family interests while maximizing their tax exemptions and credits. She focuses on being responsive and working efficiently to meet the needs of her clients.
John is a Partner practicing in the firm's Hilton Head office where he focuses his practice on Estate Planning and Probate Administration law. John is certified by the South Carolina Supreme Court as a specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Administration and is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). John graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1998 and was admitted to the South Carolina and Virginia Bar in the fall of 1998. After gra...
Paul Lynch brings considerable experience to a broad client base in various areas of practice. He is particularly dedicated to preserving and protecting family assets and facilitating transfers among generations in the most efficient manner possible. Areas of Focus Estate planning Estate administration Health care Planning for closely held businesses Real Estate The former managing member for the firm's Charleston office, Paul frequently speaks on taxation and estate planning issues before ci...
Mr. Meacham is a shareholder in the firm. Mr. Meacham has been with the firm since 1987. He is a certified specialist in the fields of both Taxation Law, and Estate Planning and Probate Law by The Supreme Court of South Carolina. He is listed in the book The Best Lawyers in America in the following fields: Business Organizations, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Litigation - Trusts and Estates, Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Non-Profit/Charities Law, Tax Law, and Trusts an...
Mr. Merline is an Associate in the firm. Mr. Merline has been with the firm since 2015. He is listed in the book The Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, in the field of Trusts and Estates. He received his Bachelor of Since Degree from Clemson University, his Juris Doctor Degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law, and his Master of Laws in Taxation Degree from the Boston University School of Law. He is also a member of the Greenville Estate Planning Council, the Greenville...
Mr. Merline is a shareholder in the firm. Mr. Merline has been with the firm since 1983. He is a certified specialist in the fields of both Taxation Law, and Estate Planning and Probate Law by The Supreme Court of South Carolina. He is listed in the book The Best Lawyers in America in the following fields: Business Organizations, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Employee Benefits Law, Litigation - ERISA, Litigation - Trusts and Estates, Litigation and...
Mrs. Monroe is an Associate in the firm. Mrs. Monroe has been with the firm since 2001. She is listed in the book The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of Business Organizations and Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree, cum laude, from the Bowdoin College, her Juris Doctor Degree, cum laude, from the University of South Carolina School of Law, and her Master of Laws in Taxation Degree from the New York University School of Law. She is ...
Mr. O ‘Neal is a shareholder in the firm. Mr. O’Neal has been with the firm since 2008. He is a certified specialist in the fields of both Taxation Law, and Estate Planning and Probate by The Supreme Court of South Carolina. He is listed in the book The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law and Trusts and Estates Law. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the Furman University, his Juris Doctor Degree from the University o...
Jeff Rambach is an experienced tax attorney and a partner in our Tax Credit Finance & Syndication Practice Group. He concentrates his practice in tax and business transactions with a focus on the development of real estate with the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC), the historic rehabilitation tax credit (HTC), the renewable energy tax credit (RETC)and other federal and state income tax incentives. Jeff also has significant experience in a broad range of tax matters, including the tax...
John Scott focuses his practice on business representation and tax planning as a shareholder and tax attorney in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Florence office. His practice includes providing advice and counsel to his clients on a number of general corporate issues including the formation of business entities such as limited liability companies and corporations, mergers and acquisitions, succession planning and contractual matters.
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