estate planning law firm Archives

Lessons from the Trenches 2.0: Avoiding Family Disputes over Money, Estates, and Businesses

January 26, 2022 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

Lessons from the Trenches 2.0: Avoiding Family Disputes over Money, Estates, and Businesses

00:00 /

Gaslowitz Frankel partners Adam Gaslowitz, Craig Frankel, and Robert Port discuss how to avoid family disputes over money, estates, and businesses.

About Gaslowitz Frankel:

Gaslowitz Frankel is an experienced trial practice firm specializing in all aspects of complex fiduciary litigation throughout Georgia and the Southeast. With a focus on representing individuals, companies, banks, and fiduciaries in dispute involving wills, estates, trusts, guardianships, businesses, and securities law, their experienced and highly qualified litigation attorneys have tremendous credentials and a proven history of success.

If you would like to watch past episodes of “Wealth Matters”, please visit their You Tube Channel.

Remember to tune in HERE on the 4th Wednesday of every month at 8:30 AM to listen live to their show!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EstateDispute
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstateDispute
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/estatedispute

Harnessing Your Family’s Human and Intellectual Capital: The Key to Sustaining Wealth for Generations

October 27, 2021 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

Harnessing Your Family’s Human and Intellectual Capital: The Key to Sustaining Wealth for Generations

00:00 /

Natalie Smailes/Director of Governance, Center for Family Legacy at Truist

Natalie Smailes joined Truist Wealth in 2015 and is a Senior Vice President and the Managing Director of Strategic Client Development within the Center for Family Legacy. Natalie works with the Center for Family Legacy team to deliver the full breadth of Governance and Education to new Truist Wealth clients. Natalie introduces clients to the Center for Family Legacy’s proprietary tools and processes specifically designed to help families increase their chances of sustaining wealth over generations. Natalie will work alongside GenSpring’s wealth advisors as they help clients identify wealth objectives and develop appropriate methods for governing their shared assets.

In addition to this role, Natalie is the lead coordinator of the Truist Wealth Reserve offering. Natalie works across the firm to educate partners about the delivery of family meetings and the education programs, working with the Center for Legacy governance and education teams to manage and implement the effort.

Michael Covington/Trust Advisor at Truist

As a Trust Advisor, Michael Covington helps his clients take a comprehensive, strategic approach to financial planning even in the early stages of asset accumulation. Utilizing an in-depth financial needs assessment and in partnership with Truist specialists in Banking, Strategic Credit, Risk Management, Investments and Trust & Estate Planning, he develops recommendations tailored to his clients’ needs, priorities and preferences.

Michael attended Campbell University where he earned a M.B.A. He currently maintains the Certified Trust Financial Advisor (CTFA) designation. After completing the trust certification at Campbell University, Michael spent several years assisting clients with special needs trust planning. He is a board member for the Estate Planning Council of North Georgia and a member of the Atlanta Estate Planning Council. He has been in banking for more than 27 years.

CLICK HERE to watch the Zoom video of this episode.

About Gaslowitz Frankel:

If you would like to watch past episodes of “Wealth Matters”, please visit their You Tube Channel.

Remember to tune in HERE on the 4th Wednesday of every month at 8:30 AM to listen live to their show!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EstateDispute
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstateDispute
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/estatedispute

Spotlight on Conservatorships and Guardianships

September 22, 2021 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

Spotlight on Conservatorships and Guardianships

00:00 /

Michael K. Johnson/Metta Johnson & Associates

Michael Johnson has 14 years working as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. He began his career working as a hospice social worker in which he supervised and directed teams of social workers. He is now the Vice President and COO of Metta Johnson & Associates comprehensive care management. Michael has honed his skills in helping families understand complex medical issues, confusing government benefits, and the emotional challenges of caring for a loved one with various medical needs. He serves as a professional guardian and is a nationally certified guardian.

Diane Weinberg/Weinberg Elder Law, LLC

Diane Weinberg is the Founder of Weinberg Elder Law, LLC. Diane focuses her practice on helping families resolve disputes that often impact seniors and individuals with disabilities. Specifically, her practice encompasses guardianships and conservatorships (both contested and uncontested) of adults, conservatorships of minors, fiduciary litigation, and protecting vulnerable populations from abuse and exploitation.

A member of the State Bar of Georgia and a Veterans Administration Accredited Attorney, Diane is also a member of the Atlanta Bar Association, the Academy of Special Needs Planners, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). She serves as the State Ambassador for the Georgia Chapter of NAELA.

Diane is a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent-rated attorney and has an AVVO rating of 10/10. In 2020, she was recognized as a Georgia Super Lawyer. Additionally, Diane is a frequent local and national speaker on a variety of aspects of guardianships, special needs trusts, and Medicaid planning and has testified before the Georgia General Assembly.

CLICK HERE to watch the Zoom video of this episode.

About Gaslowitz Frankel:

If you would like to watch past episodes of “Wealth Matters”, please visit their You Tube Channel.

Remember to tune in HERE on the 4th Wednesday of every month at 8:30 AM to listen live to their show!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EstateDispute
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstateDispute
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/estatedispute

Investing for the Long Term: What You Need to Know

August 26, 2021 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

Investing for the Long Term: What You Need to Know

00:00 /

David Bibicoff/Strategies For Wealth

For the last 25 years, David Bibicoff of Strategies for Wealth has been educating, empowering, and coaching corporate executives, attorneys, financial professionals, and entrepreneurs through a macro-economic wealth planning process. This macro-economic process consists of four modules, each with a specific objective. These four modules are the Cash Flow Clarifier, Investment Confidence Builder, Wealth Protect, and Future Lifestyle Realization.

In an industry predominantly focused on wealth accumulation, David’s end in mind approach takes the focus beyond that to one of wealth utilization.

Fred Kettler/Kettler Financial

Founded by Fred Kettler in 1992, Kettler Financial is a well respected, full-service independent insurance and financial services firm serving South Florida businesses and the community. Fred Kettler is a trusted professional specializing in Personal Retirement & Income Planning Strategies, Asset Management, and Employee Benefits. Fred has over 30-years of industry experience providing insurance based retirement planning, income protection, as well as employee benefits to businesses. A native New Yorker, Fred’s first five years in financial services, as both Advisor and Sales Manager, began in 1987 with Prudential Financial in Santa Monica, CA.

Expanding his practice upon moving to South Florida in 1992, Fred formed Kettler Financial, a full service financial advisory agency and leading provider of both personal financial security planning for individuals, as well as employee benefits for companies. Motivated to best organize the financial lives of his clients, Fred has incorporated a wide-angle, holistic in nature, financial guidance “philosophy of care” that works. Most people use traditional financial methods, theories, and conventional wisdom as a reason to take on increased financial risk. Instead of putting your assets fully at risk, they consider your complete financial picture and assure your financial security first.

CLICK HERE to watch the Zoom video of this episode.

About Gaslowitz Frankel:

If you would like to watch past episodes of “Wealth Matters”, please visit their You Tube Channel.

Remember to tune in HERE on the 4th Wednesday of every month at 8:30 AM to listen live to their show!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EstateDispute
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstateDispute
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/estatedispute

So You Want to Sell the Family Business: Planning, Priorities, and Potential Pitfalls

July 29, 2021 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

So You Want to Sell the Family Business: Planning, Priorities, and Potential Pitfalls

00:00 /

Chip Kelleher/Wilmington Trust

Chip Kelleher leads a team at Wilmington Trust responsible for providing comprehensive investment management, wealth planning, private banking and family office services to high-net-worth individuals, families and single-family offices throughout the Southeast. He works closely with his clients and their trusted advisors to protect, grow and transfer their wealth for generations.

Chip joins Wilmington Trust with deep industry experience working with business owners and sophisticated multigenerational families. Most recently, as a wealth advisor for Bessemer Trust, he employed the resources of the firm to help multi-generational clients achieve their objectives. Chip initially joined Bessemer’s Boston office where he worked with clients throughout the Northeast before moving to their Atlanta office and assuming greater responsibilities throughout the Southeast. Prior to
joining Bessemer, Chip began his career in wealth management as a financial advisor at UBS in Boston. Before entering financial services, Chip was the fourth generation of management in his family’s construction management company.

Garrett Alton/Wilmington Trust

Garrett Alton is responsible for managing Wilmington Trust’s Atlanta, GA and Southeast region, including all administrative and business development functions for personal trust, investment management, and private banking. In this role, he oversees the development and coordination of Wealth Management services for prominent individuals, families, and middle market institutional investment accounts. Garrett and his team work closely with clients and their advisors to develop financial strategies that help clients meet their current needs and plan for their long-term objectives.

Garrett has 28 years of experience in the wealth management industry, working with ultra high-net-worth individuals and families, endowments, foundations and family offices. Prior to joining Wilmington Trust in 2020, Garrett was managing director and regional head of client strategy for BNY Mellon Wealth Management, serving as their regional business development leader for the Central region.

CLICK HERE to watch the Zoom video of this episode.

About Gaslowitz Frankel:

If you would like to watch past episodes of “Wealth Matters”, please visit their You Tube Channel.

Remember to tune in HERE on the 4th Wednesday of every month at 8:30 AM to listen live to their show!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EstateDispute
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstateDispute
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/estatedispute

Estate and Financial Planning for Families with Unmarried Partners

April 28, 2021 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

Estate and Financial Planning for Families with Unmarried Partners

00:00 /

Jennifer Gibbs/Gibbs Tillery, LLC

Jennifer has been a managing partner with Gibbs Tillery Law Firm since graduating from Emory Law school in 2009. Jennifer is a dedicated and tireless family law and estate planning attorney specializing in all aspects of domestic relations, including but not limited to divorce, custody, support, visitation, modifications of custody, support and/or visitation, contempt, guardianships, and estate planning.

For over 10 years, Jennifer taught history and coached basketball in the Missouri and Florida public and private school systems. Jennifer decided to leave teaching and went on to earn a Master’s degree in Sports Administration, followed by earning her law degree from Emory School of Law.

Kelley Napier/Brannon Napier Elder Law

Kelley Napier is a partner at Brannon Napier Elder Law in Atlanta. She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, where she currently serves on the board of the Georgia Chapter. Kelley serves on the Parkinson’s Foundation Georgia Chapter Advisory Board. She also participates in the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers, the Stonewall Bar Association, and the Planned Giving Council at Oglethorpe University. She has been selected as a Super Lawyer Rising Star in 2020 and 2021.

Prior to joining Brannon Napier Elder Law, Kelley worked with another local firm specializing in Medicaid Planning. It was this legal work and Kelley’s experience navigating the long-term care system for her grandmother that prompted her enrollment in law school. Previous to her legal work, Kelley worked in the construction industry for several years.

CLICK HERE to watch the Zoom video of this episode.

About Gaslowitz Frankel:

If you would like to watch past episodes of “Wealth Matters”, please visit their You Tube Channel.

Remember to tune in HERE on the 4th Wednesday of every month at 8:30 AM to listen live to their show!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EstateDispute
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstateDispute
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/estatedispute

Simplifying and Managing Your Finances for When You Age and Beyond

March 24, 2021 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

Simplifying and Managing Your Finances for When You Age and Beyond

00:00 /

Leah Nichaman/Everyday Money Management

Leah Nichaman is a Certified Daily Money Manager (CDMM) with over 15 years of experience helping people manage their day-to-day financial affairs. She established Everyday Money Management in 2007, and built it into the premier daily money management firm in the Washington D.C. area, primarily serving older adults and busy professionals.

Ms. Nichaman is a Past President of the American Association of Daily Money Managers, the
professional association serving over 650 daily money managers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Her professional background is in management consulting, non-profit management, and health survey research. She holds a degree in Cognitive Science from Brown University.

Ms. Nichaman is active in her community, serving as a volunteer representative payee for an individual living with mental illness, and serving on the Board of Directors of The Senior Connection, a non-profit that provides free transportation and grocery shopping for seniors in Montgomery County, MD.

Rachel Donnelly/Black Dress Consultants

After many experiences with loss, including the death of her parents at a young age, Rachel Donnelly founded Black Dress Consultants, a consulting firm which helps individuals and families manage the unavoidable tasks and logistics of after loss and end-of-life.

Rachel is a fundraiser extraordinaire, having worked in higher education fundraising for Agnes Scott College, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology. Rachel also serves on the Board of Directors on Love Not Lost, an Atlanta non-profit that provides grief tools and free photography sessions for families facing terminal diagnoses.

She graduated from Agnes Scott College in Decatur with a degree in Political Science, and married her high school sweetheart, Zack Donnelly. They now live together in Atlanta with their two children, Finn and Roane.

Rachel has been referred to as the “Boss of After Loss,” “Real Life Orphan Annie” and a “Death Influencer,” and she believes that end-of-life planning is the greatest gift you can give to your family.

CLICK HERE to watch the Zoom video of this episode.

About Gaslowitz Frankel:

If you would like to watch past episodes of “Wealth Matters”, please visit their You Tube Channel.

Remember to tune in HERE on the 4th Wednesday of every month at 8:30 AM to listen live to their show!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EstateDispute
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstateDispute
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/estatedispute

It’s Complicated: Estate Planning for Blended Families

February 24, 2021 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

It's Complicated: Estate Planning for Blended Families

00:00 /

Brooke French/Kessler & Solomiany LLC

Brooke French, Partner with Kessler & Solomiany LLC, represents clients in all aspects of domestic relations litigation, including divorce, separate maintenance, child custody and support modifications, contempt, post-divorce modification and enforcement, family violence, paternity, legitimation, and prenuptial agreements. Brooke understands the stress that couples encounter in divorce and she navigates her clients through this process as efficiently as possible.

She takes a special interest in protecting children and maintaining stability in their lives as the family structure changes. Children’s needs are sometimes inadvertently overshadowed when parents are struggling, and Brooke makes a special effort to educate her clients about the impact their decisions will have on children. The mother of two young children, she has focused on the needs of children in divorce throughout her career. She is trained as a guardian ad litem and is on the list of preferred attorneys for these matters in Fulton and Cobb counties. She writes frequently about custody issues and other family law developments.

Brooke strongly believes mediation is the best option for resolution in the majority of family law cases – particularly those in which children of any age are involved. She completed 100 hours of Civil Mediation and Divorce and Family Mediation training, and is a registered neutral with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution.

Henry Bowden, Jr./The Bowden Law Firm, LLC

Henry Bowden, Partner with The Bowden Law Firm LLC, is a native of Atlanta, GA and received his B.A. with Honors from the University of Virginia in 1971 and his J.D. with Distinction from Emory University Law School in 1974. Mr. Bowden earned memberships in Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa and the Order of the Coif during his college and law school careers; he was also elected Articles Editor of the Emory Law Journal. After law school, he clerked on the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, for the Honorable Griffin B. Bell.

Mr.Bowden joined King & Spalding in 1975, making partner there in 1982. His areas of concentration have included estate planning and administration, charitable gift planning, and the representation of tax-exempt organizations. In June of 1995, Mr. Bowden founded The Bowden Law Firm.

Mr. Bowden was elected a Fellow of the American College of Trust & Estate Counsel in 1986, and served as State Chair of the College in Georgia for five years. He served as chair of the Fiduciary Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia in 1990-91, and as President of the Atlanta Estate Planning Council in 1995-96. From 1982-87, he was an adjunct professor at Emory Law School, teaching estate and gift taxation in the Masters in Taxation program there.

Mr. Bowden has served as President of the Atlanta Council of Younger Lawyers, as Chairman of the Board of the Atlanta Ballet, Inc., as Chairman of the Board of Historic Oakland Foundation, Inc., as a Trustee of the Westminster Schools, and as a member of the Board of Managers of the University of Virginia Alumni Association. He is currently an emeritus member of the Board of Trustees of Emory University, and an active trustee of Wesley Woods Senior Living, Inc. On January 1, 2016, Mr. Bowden was appointed by the Supreme Court of Georgia to serve a six-year term on the State Board of Bar
Examiners, and now chairs that Board. He is a lifelong member of Northside United Methodist Church, where he teaches Sunday school.

CLICK HERE to watch the Zoom video of this episode.

About Gaslowitz Frankel:

If you would like to watch past episodes of “Wealth Matters”, please visit their You Tube Channel.

Remember to tune in HERE on the 4th Wednesday of every month at 8:30 AM to listen live to their show!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EstateDispute
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstateDispute
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/estatedispute

Understanding the IRS Collection Process

January 27, 2021 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

Understanding the IRS Collection Process

00:00 /

Jeffrey Kess/MendenFreiman

Jeffrey Kess is a partner in MendenFreiman’s tax controversy and collection and tax planning practice areas. He joined the firm in 2019 and has practiced taxation and general business law for more than 35 years. He has achieved national recognition for his expertise in the field of tax controversy. Jeffrey has represented thousands of clients before the Internal Revenue Service, the State of Georgia, and other state taxing authorities. Jeffrey also works closely with CPAs in devising strategies to eliminate or minimize potential taxes, penalties, and interest for their clients.

“I am passionate about formulating strategies to help my clients eliminate or minimize potential taxes, penalties, and interest so they can live the American Dream!”

Jeffrey has served in leadership positions with numerous professional and community organizations. He has shared his knowledge and experience by speaking to a wide variety of groups, including the Georgia Society of CPAs, the State Bar of Georgia, the Family Law Section and the Tax Section of the Atlanta Bar Association, The North Atlanta Tax Council, the National Business Institute, and the Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia.

Prior to joining MendenFreiman, Jeffrey was a partner at Gomel Davis & Watson, LLP.

Amy McGehee/MendenFreiman

Amy McGehee is an associate in MendenFreiman’s tax controversy and collection and tax planning practice areas. Amy also practices in the areas of estate planning and business law. She joined the firm in 2019 and has extensive experience counseling clients in a wide variety of matters; including tax controversies with the IRS and state taxing agencies; drafting, filing and negotiating offers in compromise, penalty abatement requests, installment agreements, and “currently not collectible” status; and stopping collection action such as wage garnishments, levies, and asset liens. She also represents business owners with payroll and employment tax issues.

Amy has spent her career advising and representing business owners in transactional matters, complex tax planning and business succession planning, entity selection and formation matters, business organization and reorganization, as well as operational compliance matters and governance matters. She has experience reviewing, drafting, and negotiating general business contracts ranging from employment agreements to commercial leases and drafting tax opinions and applications for credits and incentives.

“I enjoy working with my clients to turn big problems into small problems.”

Over the course of her career, Amy has spent half her time practicing estate planning; and she has extensive experience with sophisticated estate and tax planning for individuals and families of significant means, including drafting complex wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, GRATs, CLATs, CRUTs, LITs and FLPs. Amy’s estate experience also includes probating simple and complex estates — including overseeing challenging valuation matters — and preparing and filing 706 and 1041 tax returns.

Prior to joining MendenFreiman, she was an associate at Gomel Davis & Watson, LLP, practicing in similar areas. Prior to her time at Gomel, Davis & Watson, LLP, Amy was employed as a tax attorney with a Fortune 500 energy company and gained experience in corporate tax matters and energy credits and incentives.

Brad Gomel/Gomel & Advisors

Brad Gomel, CPA is a Principal and Tax Manager at Gomel & Advisors (G&A). He graduated from the University of South Alabama with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Brad worked for the tax law firm Gomel, Davis and Watson, LLP for 10 years before forming G&A. Brad holds his CPA License in Georgia.