At The Sills Law Firm, Attorney Tiana V. Hercules provides a full range of estate planning services, including (but not limited to) estate administration and the drafting of wills and trusts. Our clients include individuals, families, business owners, and high-profile parties who require inventive solutions when it comes to preserving their estate and their legacy.
Estate Planning
We offer sound and effective legal advice and representation to clients who want to protect their assets for their loved ones. We also help high-net-worth individuals protect their estate value from being unfairly absorbed by the IRS and Connecticut state taxing authorities.
Let us assist you with the following estate planning tools and strategies:
- Wills
- Gifting
- Family Limited Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) that provide your heirs with their respective portion of your estate while enabling you to reduce your own tax liability.
- Business succession plans that minimize tax consequences
- Probating wills
- Preparing federal and state tax returns for estate and fiduciary income
Attorney Tiana Hercules will review your estate planning goals and work with you to create a plan that gives you peace of mind during your lifetime.
Trusts
Trusts are an essential part of your estate plan when you want your beneficiaries to receive the maximum benefit of their inheritance. They also help avoid the probate proceedings normally needed to settle your will and overall save your family time and money in closing your estate.
Attorney Tiana Hercules has a diverse estate planning practice that includes trust setup and administration. She helps individuals and couples minimize estate and gift taxes, arrange a smooth transfer of business interests, and protect high-value assets using trusts like the following:
- Living trusts
- Revocable and irrevocable trusts
- Inter Vivos trusts
- Asset protection trusts
- Special needs trusts
- Charitable remainder trusts
- Testamentary trusts
- Qualified personal residence trusts
Attorney Hercules can help you set up a trust that accomplishes your estate planning objectives, whether they involve protecting assets from probate, providing for a charitable cause, or avoiding excessive capital gains taxes.
Probate
Probate is the process in which your last will and testament are validated by the court after you pass. It can take months and even years to probate a will, during which time there may be numerous court hearings and even more pleadings and related documents submitted.
At The Sills Law Firm, we provide dedicated and experienced probate services that can minimize any stress involved for you and your beneficiaries. They include:
- Filing a petition with the probate court to open your estate
- Notifying your next of kin
- Locating assets and setting up an estate bank account
- Filing the inventory of all estate assets
- Distributing assets to beneficiaries
- Reviewing all claims against the estate and defending it against those deemed invalid
- Completing any necessary federal and Connecticut state income tax forms and tax returns for the estate
Attorney Hercules takes a knowledgeable and efficient approach to probate matters. She is experienced in avoiding the pitfalls that can jeopardize an estate’s assets and can ensure that they are distributed properly and in accordance with your wishes.
Speak to an Estate Planning Lawyer in CT Today
When you’re preparing for the future and wondering about your options, Attorney Hercules can give you estate planning advice that preserves your wealth in the most tax-efficient manner. For more information or to schedule a confidential consultation, contact The Sills Law Firm today.
