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Estate Planning - Our office provides various estate planning services, including the drafting of Last Wills and Testament, Trust Agreements, as well as Pre-Marital Agreements. Given the experience of our attorneys and support staff, our firm can effectively handle the needs of clients with estates of any size. Our services are specifically tailored to the needs of each client, representing single individuals to young couples starting a family to the elderly. Proper planning can ease the transition of assets from one generation to the next, as well as provide for the future of minor children. Our firm will work closely with your current personal and financial advisors (such as Accountant and Brokers) to develop a plan specific to your needs. In addition to the preparation of documents, our firm often develops lifetime gifting programs; the integration of Retirement Benefits, such as IRAs, 401(k), and other pension plans, into your estate plan; guidance as to "beneficiary designations" for life insurance and other Retirement Benefits; as well as Charitable interests and Generation Skipping Planning.
Estate Administration - Administration of an estate can often times be an overwhelming experience for individuals. Our firm is intimately familiar with probate procedure and can ease the burden during an emotionally trying time. Each estate is handled with specialized and individualized attention.
Depending upon your comfort level, our firm can handle the daily tasks involved with administering an estate (from contacting creditors and Social Security to paying bills), or limit our involvement to the preparation of required probate forms, tax returns, and legal advice. Generally, we are called on to prepare necessary probate documents, attend hearings, prepare and file federal and state estate, succession, and income tax returns, and prepare accountings. Our firm has experience is settling the smallest and largest of estates.
In addition, our firm often represent individuals and financial institutions as Trustee for testamentary and inter-vivos trust administration. Our firm handles the preparation of trust accountings, income tax returns, and provides legal advice to trustees on various trust administration issues.
As a part of Estate Administration, our firm analyzes each estate to determine if any tax issues exist or that may have arisen after death for which "post-mortem" planning is necessary to save the maximum in death and income taxes.
Real Estate Transactions - Our firm represents client in all areas of personal, residential and business real estate transactions. We will working with buyers and sellers, as well as their representatives (lenders, builders, real estate agents and commercial developers) in closing the transaction. In addition to representing clients at closing, our firm also handles title disputes, foreclosures, leasing, evictions and all types of general real estate matters.
Elder Law/Medicaid - Our firm is often contacted by Senior Citizens, as well as their families, concerned about their long term care needs, including nursing home care, as well as maintaining their independence by advance planning for incapacity with alternative decision making. Elder law encompasses a vast range of legal issues including asset protection planning, nursing home admission planning, home care planning, Medicaid, conservatorship and guardianship, estate planning, disability planning, trusts and estate administration and advice regarding long-term care insurance. Our firm works with clients and their families in order to obtain a deep understanding of their objectives and develop a plan appropriate to their needs and wishes. While it is often best to plan well in advance of the need for either long term care or an incapacity, our firm does provide guidance for those who have not had an opportunity to plan in advance. Kernan & Henry, LLP centralizes it efforts on the following areas of Elder Law: (1) Asset Protection, (2) Medicaid Planning, (3) Long Term Care Insurance Consulting, (4) Planning for Disabilities, (4) Health, Financial, and Personal Planning through advance directives (i.e. Powers of Attorney, Designation of Conservator, Appointment of Health Care Agent, Living Wills, etc. ), (5) Conservatorships, (6) Estate Planning.
Small Business Planning - Our firm is often called upon by clients, including individuals, families, and business associates, during the initial formation of their businesses and commercial interests. Our services include developing a business structure most appropriate to each individualized need (e.g., partnership, limited liability company, trust, corporation), as well as advice relating to business succession planning and integrating business and commercial interests into an overall estate plan that will minimize taxes. We also work with these newly formed entities in developing the management and corporate structure, as well as employment agreements necessary to help them flourish. After formation, our firm can continue to assist our clients in a multitude of commercial transactions, as well as to counsel clients regarding business operations from a legal and practical standpoint.
Estate Litigation - Our Firm represents individuals and various financial institutions in issues resulting from trusts and estates matters. We represent executors, trustees, conservators, guardians and attorneys-in-fact, as well as beneficiaries. Often our services are requested for matters arising out of Accountings; Claims Against Fiduciaries, including misconduct, malfeasance, neglect; removal of Fiduciaries; Conservatorships and Guardianships; Probate Appeals; Trust Contests, Reformation, and Interpretation; and Will Contests.
Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Products Liability & Workers' Compensation.
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