Estate Planning and Administration
Briggs and Morgan's estate planning attorneys handle a wide variety of services for clients in the areas of planning and administration of trusts and estates. We advise clients on income and estate taxes (state and federal), gift taxes and generation-skipping taxes. In addition, we assist in planning with respect to unique assets, such as closely held businesses, partnerships, real estate and life insurance.
As part of the planning process, we frequently give advice regarding charitable trusts and foundations, marital and charitable deductions, QTIP Trust and the various methods of qualifying for these options. Planning also involves drafting of wills, trusts, antenuptial agreements, health care directives, powers of attorney and retirement benefits planning.
Preparation of trusts includes revocable and irrevocable trusts. Irrevocable trusts include charitable remainder trusts and charitable term trusts, insurance trusts, and generation-skipping trusts. For charitably inclined clients, we also prepare documents needed to form nonprofit corporations or trusts and obtain federal and Minnesota tax exemptions.
Briggs attorneys also help administer estates, trusts and guardianships. In each case, we provide legal assistance to the fiduciary, and if the fiduciary is not a professional, we make bookkeeping and accounting services available. Briggs uses an extensive computer system to facilitate and simplify the record-keeping process, as well as assisting with planning and preparation of income tax and estate tax returns. When necessary, our attorneys are also involved in litigation for estates, which may involve will contests or tax controversies.
Our experienced attorneys are frequent speakers and authors and serve on bar association committees related to estate planning and administration. A number are former chairs of the Probate and Trust Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association, as well as listed in The Best Lawyers in America and named "Super Lawyers" and "Rising Stars" by Minnesota Law & Politics. Several attorneys are members of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC).