Family and Closely-Held Business Planning

Updated May 2025

Clients interested in assisting a family member financially can consider making an intrafamily loan. To be respected as a loan, rather than a gratuitous transfer, certain formalities should be followed.  Here, we outline those formalities.

What is an intrafamily loan?

Although current tax law allows for the exclusion of gifts up to

In an ever-evolving landscape, it’s crucial to audit an estate plan and ensure it keeps pace with your life. On this episode, Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear dive into the importance of revisiting your estate plan, examining the impact of changes in asset levels, evolving inter-personal relationships, relocating to a new state, and changes

On this episode, join Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear as they dive into a discussion on jurisdiction selection in the context of advanced planning strategies. What does it mean to select a jurisdiction when establishing a trust and what benefits are available when considering one jurisdiction over another? Erin and Michael address these questions

On this episode, join Partners Dan Daniels and Michael Clear as they discuss the importance of educating the next generation on estate planning matters. From the protection of assets in cases of divorce or litigation, to aligning a child’s assumptions with reality, you will gain insight on how best to structure a family meeting and

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

On this episode, join Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear as they discuss strategies for preserving family legacy assets across generations. With a particular focus on the management and division of interests in real property, such as family compounds and homesteads, Erin and Michael discuss considerations related to carrying costs, ownership structures, bloodline protection and

On this episode, join Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear as they dispel some of the common misconceptions related to trust planning and delve into the three reasons why trust planning is important for many clients. With an understanding that most clients do not want to “rule from the grave,” Erin and Michael highlight the

As we approach the latter half of 2022, our Private Client Service team would like to share some exciting updates in the areas of:

  • Estate Planning
  • Business Succession Planning
  • Fiduciary and Probate Litigation
  • International Private Client Services
  • Philanthropy
  • Trust and Estate Administration Services

We trust you will find it both interesting and a reflection of

If you are considering a transfer of wealth, then you must consider obtaining a proper valuation to go with it. In the recently issued Chief Counsel Memorandum 202152018 (the “CCA”), the IRS held that a taxpayer’s valuation of assets contributed to a grantor retained annuity trust (a “GRAT”) was inadequate and, as result, the GRAT