At Stein Sperling, we work side by side with clients to develop estate plans that allow them to grow their assets while minimizing opportunities for tax liability or creditors’ claims. We structure estates to protect a client’s wishes for the distribution of their assets during life and after death.
In helping our clients meet their estate needs, we advise them about titling their assets and designating appropriate beneficiaries. Through careful understanding of each client’s unique circumstances, we are able to recommend the best approach to sustaining wealth for future generations while protecting the current generation.
Another aspect of asset protection includes creating pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements to resolve issues related to marital property. These agreements seek to identify each party’s existing property at the start of the marriage and reach a consensus of how to divide property earned or otherwise acquired subsequent to the marriage should the marital relationship end in divorce. Such agreements often also provide for the disposition of assets on a spouse’s passing in situations such as a second marriage where the spouses have children from prior marriages. Growing in popularity is another option that is especially beneficial in preserving family assets in case of a divorce. Parents can provide for a “lifetime trust” for the child without including specified age parameters. This is referred to as a Generation-Skipping Transfer (GST) Trust.