Estate Planning

Estate Planning

Our experienced attorneys provide estate planning and wealth transfer services to moderate to high net worth individuals, business owners, real estate investors and their families. Clients concerned about their wealth preservation choose our firm due to our experience. We often end up representing families across several generations as a result of the close relationships we develop, and the quality of our work. We respect the unique concerns and needs of each and every client, regardless of circumstances or complexity. Whether clients have a clear sense of their goals or are just beginning to assess their plans for the future, we apply our comprehensive knowledge of the law and estate planning tools to craft custom plans that address personal needs. We take great pride in ensuring that each estate plan reflects the client’s goals and values, with an eye toward ensuring family harmony, minimizing tax burdens, and securing a legacy for generations to come.

Wealth Transfer Planning

For many high net worth individuals and families, a basic estate plan is not enough. These clients may need additional wealth transfer planning to effectively achieve their personal, charitable and financial goals. The attorneys at Hastings & Ron incorporate creativity with advanced planning techniques to maximize wealth transfer and minimize taxes. In every case, we consider the unique aspects of the estate, and customize a comprehensive plan that is fully consistent with the client's personal goals and objectives.

Customized Wealth Transfer Solutions

While wealth creation can be complicated, clients have three basic options when it comes to wealth transfer:

Leave your estate to family and/or friends;
Leave your estate to the community through one or more charities; and/or
Leave your estate to the government through the payment of transfer taxes.
For over 50 years, we have been counseling clients on their options and helping them to establish custom-tailored plans to achieve their particular objectives. Combining our comprehensive knowledge of the law and legal strategies with innovative planning solutions, we develop just the right plan to achieve each client’s personal goals.

At Hastings & Ron, we understand that significant wealth can lead to complex personal and financial issues and result in family conflict. Our goal is to help our clients implement wealth transfer plans that minimize potential conflicts while promoting enduring legacies for generations to come.

Estate and Trust Administration

The administration of an estate or trust requires careful planning. Many decisions with substantial financial implications, difficult at any time, must be made during a period of mourning. For over 50 years, clients have turned to Hastings & Ron to manage their loved ones' estate and trust administration. We efficiently handle our clients' needs with compassion, freeing them to focus on their families and personal healing. In fact, our highly sensitive approach to communication and our extensive experience often causes clients to rely on us to handle personal matters beyond the legal issues in their time of grieving.

Our compassion and experience extend to other situations involving family crises. We frequently advise our clients in the areas of guardianship and conservatorship, guiding them through the process of seeking court intervention in order to help their loved ones when they are unable to help themselves.

Estate and Trust Litigation

Legal disputes of any type are stressful. Estate and trust disputes often are complicated by grief, confusion and other strong emotions, adversely affecting the parties' ability to achieve resolution. For over 50 years, Hastings & Ron attorneys have been representing both fiduciaries and beneficiaries in estate and trust disputes. We are very sensitive to the issues facing the parties, and the fact that family members often do not agree, particularly when substantial estates are involved.

Business Succession Planning

At Hastings & Ron, financial security for many of our clients is dependent upon the continued success of their closely-held businesses. Ensuring the future of their business through a well-structured succession plan is an essential component of their estate plan, and is critical to their peace of mind. Our team of transactional, estate planning and tax attorneys collaborate with clients and their trusted financial advisors to plan for retirement, management transition and liquidity events, as well as unpredictable circumstances, such as incapacity or death. Throughout the process, we consider our clients' projected wealth, multi-generational issues and estate planning goals.

Navigating Smooth Transitions

Fulfilling the estate planning needs of business owners for over 50 years has given us the knowledge and experience needed to create a sound business succession plan. We ask clients about their goals, then guide them through the entire business succession planning process and the use of risk management tools. In this way, tax opportunities are identified and considered, surprises related to the tax implications of various exit strategies are avoided and any possibility of disruption in business operations are minimized. Our attorneys draft partnership agreements, operating agreements and buy/sell agreements, patiently helping clients through the formation, maintenance and disposition of their businesses. We also advise management on legal and tax issues involving mergers and acquisitions, frequently at the recommendation of a client's CPA or investment banker.

Planning for the future of your business requires care and attention. It would be our pleasure to discuss your business succession planning needs. Contact us through our website, or by phone at (209) 476-1010.

Planning For Your Legacy

Our clients’ goals range from leaving a small amount to a single charity, to establishing a family foundation for tax-advantaged charitable giving. In every case, we help our clients understand the various methods to achieve their charitable goals, seeking to maximize our clients' tax benefits. Specifically, we frequently establish or refine:

Charitable Lead Trusts
Charitable Remainder Trusts
Bargain Sales to Charities
Private Foundations
Private Operating Foundations
Public Charities

In all cases, whether supplementing a tax plan with charitable giving or providing for an enduring legacy, we work collaboratively and creatively to find the best solution.

To learn more, Contact Hastings & Ron. Hastings & Ron 4568 Feather River Drive Stockton CA 95219 209-476-1010