Elder Law & Estate Planning

Arranging for the management of your assets upon your death or incapacity is one of the greatest legacies that you can give your family. Appropriate advanced planning can give you peace of mind, knowing your affairs are in order. Proper planning will also help minimize confusion and potential conflict regarding the distribution of your assets.

Areas of focus include:

• Elder Law and Special Needs Planning
• Estate Planning
• Tax Planning
• Estate Administration
• Trust Administration and Fiduciary Representation
• Guardianships
• Estate and Trust Litigation

Estate Planning

A comprehensive and tailored estate plan will benefit you and your family, including future generations, in many ways. The proper plan may reduce or eliminate estate taxes and protect assets from long-term care expenses. Our process begins with a thoughtful discussion about your family, your assets and your goals. The attorneys at Orson and Brusini Ltd. have special expertise in developing the right plan for your specific circumstances, including sophisticated tax strategies, asset protection and special needs trusts. Your individually tailored estate plan will save you and your family untold time and expense.

Elder Law and Special Needs Trust Planning

This highly technical area of practice requires special knowledge of both state and federal requirements for governmental benefits. Our attorneys can help protect these valuable benefits, and assist in qualifying for Medicaid, veteran’s benefits and state-funded programs. We can help single individuals and couples qualify for coverage of nursing home expenses or other specialized support services through Medicaid. Many families inadvertently jeopardize governmental benefits because of a lack of proper guidance and planning. Proper advanced long-term care planning provides seniors and individuals with special needs, and their families, with a financial “road map” to expand and protect their choices for care.

Estate Administration

The attorneys at Orson and Brusini Ltd. provide cost-effective and efficient support in all areas of estate administration in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. We can guide your family through the intimidating process of probate, post-mortem tax planning, estate and trust administration helping minimize stress and confusion during a time of grieving.

Trust Administration

The attorneys at Orson and Brusini Ltd. assist fiduciaries in an advisory capacity and, upon request, serve as trustees or co-trustees for clients and their families. We also work closely with corporate trustees and trusted financial advisors, implementing a comprehensive team approach to address personal planning and wealth preservation. Trust administration requires a broad range of knowledge, including an in-depth understanding of the fiduciary duties and potential liabilities of a trustee, and experience with complex family dynamics.

Guardianships

Guardianship proceedings are often needed when an individual can no longer act for himself or herself with respect to financial and health care matters. A guardianship is a legal proceeding for the appointment of a substitute decision maker. When faced with the need for a guardianship, the experience and insight of our attorneys can help families cope with the limitations of a loved one.

Estate and Trust Litigation

The relationship between a fiduciary and a beneficiary or heir is complex, and conflicts can inevitably arise. The attorneys at Orson and Brusini Ltd. are experienced in understanding this intricate relationship and provide advice and guidance regarding risk management, conflict avoidance and accountability. In situations where court intervention is required, we will guide clients through that process in a cost effective and sensitive manner.

Tax Planning

The attorneys at Orson and Brusini Ltd. understand that every transaction has tax consequences and assists clients and their fiduciaries with tax efficient planning. This planning includes addressing the impact of state and federal income tax, estate tax, gift tax and generation skipping transfer tax. We work with our clients, and their advisors, to identify priorities and develop tax strategies to preserve generational wealth. It is important to analyze the potential tax savings during an individual’s lifetime and after death. We guide our client’s fiduciaries through the complexities of achieving tax efficient trust and estate administration.