Steven Schindler

Estate Planning Documents in Context of Family Dynamics

Assisting clients in the preparation of their wills, trusts, powers of attorneys and healthcare documents with an eye to internal family dynamics and the family members' abilities to handle fiduciary and business decisions. This process often includes consideration as to whether non-family executors and trustees may benefit the estate or trust administration.   These documents include: revocable living trusts for lifetime management of assets or out-of-state real property to avoid probate, as well as durable powers of attorney for financial and healthcare decisions,  Durable Powers of Attorney (DPA), healthcare directives and living wills, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) authorizations for release of protected healthcare information, and premarital and postnuptial property status agreements that clarify status of community and separate property.

Gift Planning

Providing advice on tax efficient gifting to children and grandchildren, including drafting and implementing "Crummey" Trusts, Generation-Skipping Trusts, Residence Trusts (QPRTs), Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs) and Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILITs).  We also assisted clients with education savings planning, including tax effects of 529 Plans, and provided advice on tax efficient giving to charities, including Charitable Lead Trusts and Charitable Remainder Trusts (CLATs, CLUTs, CRATs and CRUTs).  In addition, we prepared estate and gift tax forecasts and plans for payment of estate taxes for business succession.

Probate and Trust Administration

Advising clients on estate and trust administration, probate, estate and trust dispute resolution matters and the preparation of gift and estate tax returns, including:

• Representing executors or administrators (a.k.a. personal representatives) of estates and trustees of trusts in the fulfillment of fiduciary duties,
• Representing beneficiaries regarding their interests in estates and trusts, and
• Advising and drafting nonjudicial binding agreements to modify will or trust terms or to settle fiduciary disputes

Guardianship and Special Needs Trust

Represent trustees of special needs trusts and guardians of loved ones in the preparation of periodic court reporting obligations. We also work with individuals seeking to become guardians of loved ones who have lost the capacity to manage their affairs.

Nonprofit Organizations

Assists individuals and groups in the formation of charitable organizations and advises existing charitable organizations on a variety of legal and tax matters, including

• Preparing applications for tax-exempt status and representing client organizations before the Internal Revenue Service
• Advising on joint ventures and political activities
• Advising on obligations for administration and expenditure of charitable endowment funds under gift agreements and applicable state statutes

Private Foundations & Charitable Trusts

Assisted clients in establishing private foundations or charitable trusts to hold family assets.  These include endowment agreements with various educational or charitable institutions.  Provided ongoing family foundation counseling and grant making consultation and advice.

Limited Liability Companies and Family Limited Partnerships

Established limited liability companies (LLCs) and family limited partnerships (FLPs) for the management of family real estate and other assets among multiple generations of the same family.

Tax Representation

Preparing gift tax returns to report taxable gifts and federal and Washington estate tax returns and represented taxpayers on estate and gift tax audits.