Photo of Vanessa L. Maczko

Vanessa is a Partner in Wiggin and Dana’s Private Client Services Department in the Greenwich, CT and New York, NY offices.

Vanessa advises high net-worth individuals and families on multi-generational transfers of assets, such as closely-held business interests, marketable securities, art collections, real estate, tangible personal property and insurance policies. Her practice focuses on estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax planning.

A quality education may be one of the best gifts to give a minor child or grandchild this holiday season.  As the cost of education continues to increase annually, families may be contemplating various gifting strategies to accumulate funds, minimize taxes and ultimately support younger generations with their future security and education goals.

Two popular

We are pleased to launch our speaker series, a break from the traditional podcast format, with our premier episode featuring Partner Vanessa Maczko who will detail where we are now with taxes and gifting, and where we are going. She discusses what is not a taxable gift and how to use your estate and gift

Congratulations, you just signed your Will and your Revocable Trust.  You set out clear directions on how your assets should pass at your death.  Your heirs will be grateful.  But there is more you can do to ease the burden of estate administration – you can fund your Revocable Trust while you are alive. Set

Wealthy individuals and families are increasingly incorporating charitable goals into their estate plan.  For donors who want to manage their philanthropic activities through longer-term vehicles, two of the most common options are donor-advised funds and private foundations.

Donor-Advised Funds

A donor-advised fund (DAF) is like a charitable savings account.  A donor opens and funds an

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

Modern families are complex and can consist of unmarried couples, married same-sex couples or couples in second marriages. These families may encounter unique estate planning challenges and may not always enjoy the same legal advantages, spousal rights, and tax benefits as others. For instance, couples who do not take the formal step of marriage under

On this episode, join Partners Michael Clear and Vanessa Maczko as they discuss estate planning considerations for digital assets, which often require special attention when compared to more traditional assets, like real property and marketable securities. For example, sentimental digital assets (such as social media accounts, email, photos on your computer or cell phone), may