Creating trusts to encourage children and grandchildren to work and become useful, productive citizens. Many trusts have provisions that actually discourage children from appreciating the value of earning their own support through useful employment. Our Work Incentive Trusts limit access to trust assets if children do not go to school or work. They foster investment and responsibility.

Designing charitable giving programs to help people do good after they have done well.

Planned Giving:
Many clients believe that, once they have created security for their spouses and children, they want to make a lasting difference through a program of planned charitable gifts. They want to do good after they have done well. We work with clients and development officers to design planned giving programs. We have many years of experience in creating Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, Scholarship Trusts. Estate taxes can sometimes force families to sell farms and other valuable properties. We work with clients to keep these assets free from development on a tax favorable basis.

Federal and State Estate Taxes:
Did you know that the Connecticut Estate Tax exemption completely disappears at one penny over $2 Million. The tax on that “penny” is $101,700.

Reducing Federal and State estate taxes.

Asset Protection Planning:
The UPS man falls on your property. Your teenage child hits a playmate with a mini-bike. A jury returns a large verdict against you. Your insurance is inadequate or nonexistent. A proper program of asset protection planning could protect what you’ve worked for.

Business Succession Planning:
Prepare for the transition with business succession planning. If you don’t have an agreement with your partners or fellow shareholders, you could end up in business with their spouses? What would happen to the value of your business interest if you became disabled?

Planning for Marriage and Remarriage:
Did you know that, without a properly designed prenuptial agreement, your assets could possibly pass to your spouse’s children by a prior marriage? Did you know that, merely by being married, a spouse becomes entitled to be the beneficiary of your pension plan, 401(k) and other retirement benefits? [Please link this to “Yours, Mine and Ours” under “resources for professionals]

Planning for Disability and Illness:
Providing for the continued private management of your assets in case of disability. Did you know that, without proper planning, the Probate Court would oversee the management of your assets?

Special Needs Trusts:
Special Needs Trusts let you give your children the benefit of your assets while trying to maximize the benefit of public resources.

Keeping You in Charge of Your Health Care:
Helping you to exercise your right to self determination with Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. These documents, sometimes called “advanced directives”, put you in control of your own treatment. They go far beyond so called “living wills,” which are purely “end of life” documents. They allow you to fully exercise what the United States Supreme Court called your “right of bodily self determination.”

Avoiding Probate:
“Probate” has almost become the dirty word of the 21st Century. Many people needlessly spend a lot of money on so called living trusts under the mistaken belief that they will save on Probate Court costs. Connecticut levies a statutory Probate Court fee on all assets that pass at death. This includes retirement plans, life insurance and joint assets. It also includes assets in so called living trusts.

At least in Connecticut, these costs cannot be avoided by using a revocable trust. Although these trusts are useful for many people, lawyers operating “trust mills” aggressively market them to people who really don’t need them and would do better spending the money on a trip to the Caribbean.

Estate Settlement:
We assist executors in settling estates of all sizes.

Preparation of Federal and state and estate tax returns.

Did you know that you could lose valuable deductions by claiming them on the “wrong” return and by paying expenses at the “wrong” time. We help estate fiduciaries in exercising statutory elections, selecting fiscal years and timing of payments and distributions to reduce estate and income taxes.

Compliance with Probate Court procedures.

Interpreting provisions of Wills, Trust Agreements and other documents.

Trust and Estate Litigation:
Will contest negotiation and trials in all courts.

Extensive experience in evaluating, trial and settlement of contests of wills.

Trust and Will constructions.

Serving as an expert witness on issues of trust interpretation and professional responsibility.

Evaluation of professional malpractice, fiduciary liability and other issues in estate and trust cases.

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This web site is designed to provide information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is made available with the understanding that the Law Offices of Jeffrey L. Crown is not engaged in rendering legal advice via this web site. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the service of a competent professional should be sought.

THE LAW OFFICE OF JEFFREY L. CROWN
21 New Britain Avenue, Suite 208
Rocky Hill, Connecticut 06067

P: (860) 257-4330
F: (860) 257-4388