Estate & Trust Attorneys

Bulman, Dunie, Burke & Feld, CHTD’s experienced staff of attorneys and legal assistants have represented and counseled generations of individuals in the formulation, implementation, and administration of a highly personalized and cost-efficient estate plan. Throughout the existence of the firm, we have handled a wide range of estate, trust and tax problems, with the likelihood that we have addressed a problem such as yours. We understand that our clients are busy and we strive to make the estate planning process as painless and non-disruptive as possible.  We also understand that legal consumers prefer not to pay hourly fees to attorneys and we are pleased to be able to offer flat fees on many of our estate planning services.

Here is a brief list of some of the areas in which our attorneys and legal assistants can guide you:

Areas of Assistance

• Development of a complete estate plan, including the preparation of wills, trusts, powers of attorney and medical directives.
• Representation of and assistance to personal representatives (executors) as they administer estates in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
• Representation of and assistance to trustees as they navigate the complex minefield of estate and trust law, including accountings and discretionary distributions to beneficiaries.
• Representation of and assistance to trustees who require court approval or beneficiary approval to trust modifications.
• Representation of beneficiaries to ensure that their rights are protected throughout estate and trust administration.
• Insight on tax issues related to the acquisition and disposition of real estate.
• Assisting clients as they serve as power of attorney for loved ones.
• Representation of individuals who are petitioning for guardianship over a family member.

The documents that we prepare address lifetime concerns as well as the disposition of assets at death. Lifetime considerations include incapacity, individual and family financial protection, and long term care. Instruments for asset distribution include wills, both simple and those containing more elaborate estate tax planning provisions, financial powers of attorney for property and medical directives for health care. Sometimes structuring a trust is more appropriate. The trust instruments that we prepare include:

• Revocable living trusts
• Family trusts
• Standby trusts
• Testamentary trusts
• Qualified personal residence trusts
• Irrevocable life insurance trusts

You receive personal assistance with the follow-up and funding of the trusts, including preparation of deeds and other necessary documents.

We Handle a Broad Range of Tax Matters

We assist many of our clients with business planning, intergenerational wealth transfer planning, and marital and divorce tax planning, such as pre-nuptial agreements or separation agreements, and the acquisition or disposition of real estate. We work in conjunction with attorneys in other areas of the firm, such as Family Law, Business Law or Real Estate Law practice groups, to effectively address all aspects of a client’s circumstance, and we interface with the client’s other professional advisers. Please consult the other Bulman, Dunie, Burke & Feld, CHTD, practice areas for more information on our vast array of services.

We Offer Full-Service Estate and Trust Administration

The time after a family member passes away can be an especially difficult period for families. This is where our experienced professionals especially can be of particular assistance. We help families understand and navigate the complexities of the probate and tax process, and assist with the distribution of non-probate assets, including retirement benefits, and provide overall common sense guidance. We provide in-depth, sophisticated advice on the impact of estate and inheritance taxes and the distribution of assets.

If estate and trust litigation become necessary, Bulman, Dunie, Burke & Feld, CHTD’s cadre of experienced litigators will work with our estate and trust attorneys to effectively handle contested cases. This enables us to provide our clients with an especially strong team approach, combining our substantive estate and tax knowledge base with the litigator’s trial experience.

We assist in Special Circumstances

As circumstances require, we assist our clients and their families with disability planning, making the transition to long-term care facilities or handling other special problems for family members, including children. We prepare guardianship cases and represent clients in court who need to assist family members in managing their affairs. This includes handling the court-required administration of a guardianship estate.

We Provide Personal Service

At all times, we strive to maintain the highest professional standards and also to give a personal level of service, involvement and understanding to our clients’ planning challenges. Barry M. Nudelman, Jeremy D. Rachlin, Jane Rodgers, and Jared Sands are the attorney members of the Estate & Trust Practice Group at Bulman, Dunie, Burke & Feld, Chtd.