Protect What
You've Built.
Secure What You'll
Leave Behind.

Under current law, the Estate Tax Exemption is set to drop dramatically — from $13.61 million per person to approximately $5 million per person (inflation-adjusted) on January 1, 2026. Strategies like ILITs, Family Limited Partnerships, and Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts must be implemented before that window closes. The exemption is use-it-or-lose-it: unused amounts cannot be reclaimed after the sunset.

An ILIT owns and is the beneficiary of your life insurance policies, removing the death benefit from your taxable estate and potentially shielding it from a 40% estate tax. If you hold large policies, they may already push your estate over the exemption threshold. We can evaluate whether an ILIT — or a structured sale into an ILIT — makes sense for your situation.

A Family Limited Partnership LLC holds your investment assets inside an LLC structure. Because you own an interest in the LLC rather than the underlying assets directly, current law allows for valuation discounts of 15–40% for estate and gift tax purposes. This can translate to significant tax savings depending on the value held within the FLP, while also providing creditor protection during your lifetime.

Yes. Estate planning is about far more than minimizing taxes. A well-crafted plan ensures your assets go to the people you choose, names guardians for minor children, designates who makes medical and financial decisions if you cannot, and spares your family from unnecessary court proceedings. Everyone with dependents, property, or strong wishes about their care should have a plan in place.

Probate is the court-supervised process of validating your will, settling debts, and distributing assets after death. It can be time-consuming and public. Certain estate planning tools — such as revocable living trusts, beneficiary designations, and joint ownership — can allow assets to transfer outside of probate. We can help you determine the right approach for your goals.

Yes. We regularly counsel business owners at every stage — from initial entity formation and structuring to ownership transfer and succession planning. We also help business owners integrate their business interests into a broader estate plan, including using FLPs and gifting strategies to transition the business to the next generation in a tax-efficient manner.

Our office is located at 909 East Boulevard in Charlotte's Dilworth neighborhood. We serve clients throughout the Charlotte area as well as clients across the country and internationally. Parking is available behind our building and along the street, and our office is accessible via a wheelchair ramp.