Photo of Carolyn A. Reers

Carolyn is a Partner in Wiggin and Dana’s Private Client Services Department and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee resident in the New York and Greenwich offices. Carolyn has more than 25 years of experience servicing high-net-worth individuals, their closely held companies and family offices with a focus on international estate and tax planning.

Immediately before joining Wiggin and Dana, Carolyn was a Partner at a leading international law firm, where she was integral in all aspects of trust and estate planning and administration. Carolyn was also responsible for the creation and management of public charities and private foundations.

What is Guardianship?

Guardianship is a legal arrangement whereby an individual is granted the legal authority to make decisions on behalf of another person who is deemed unable to make those decisions independently. Most commonly, this applies to minor children whose parents are deceased, but this also applies to incapacitated adults.

Guardianship law serves as

On the fifth episode of our speaker series, Partner Carolyn Reers explores the growing trend of high-net-worth individuals seeking residency or citizenship abroad for tax benefits and safety. She highlights popular destinations like Malta, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia for citizenship through investment, as well as Italy, Malta, Portugal, Switzerland, Greece, and Spain

Estate planning can require extra care and effort where one spouse is not a U.S. citizen.  The same can be said for couples who live, work, or own property in the U.S. but neither is a U.S. citizen.  These couples should be well-advised in preparing an estate plan to minimize the potential application of U.S.

In a previous Wiggin and Dana LLP advisory, we addressed what constitutes a “foreign trust” under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC).[1]  We now explore the tax consequences of a foreign trust, as well as the differences between a foreign grantor trust and a foreign non-grantor trust.

There are many benefits of having

Overview

Individuals who are neither United States citizens nor U.S. “domiciled” (U.S. resident with an intention to remain indefinitely in the U.S.) are subject to a less favorable estate tax planning environment.  In 2024, individuals who are U.S. citizens and domiciliaries can transfer $13,610,000 free of estate, gift and GST tax during their lives or

As we wrap up 2023, let us take a look back at some of the important estate planning topics that were discussed throughout the year. Our Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear and their distinguished guests shared their expertise on a wide range of subjects, including Using Trusts for Your BeneficiariesSLATsEstate

Following up on a prior advisory that we published on “Estate Tax Planning and the Often-Overlooked Power of the ‘Med-Ed Exclusion’” (click here to read), we offer this update and a deeper dive into the gift of medical care that may have meaningful implications on estate planning strategies for many individuals.

First, by

The reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) will come into effect on January 1, 2024.  The U.S. Treasury estimates that more than 32 million pre-existing entities and approximately 5 million new reporting companies annually over the next decade will have to register under the CTA.

The CTA was enacted on January 1, 2021

Originally published on February 11, 2021. 

The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) was enacted on January 1, 2021 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act creating a federal beneficial ownership registry applicable to corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs) and most partnerships.  Targeted at small, privately-held business entities, the CTA requires these organizations to report