BKBH’s Estate Planning Practice Group Attorneys:

• Joanne McCormack (Missoula), Chair BKBH Estate Planning Practice Group
  • Stan Kaleczyc (Helena)
  • KimBeatty (Helena)
  • Dan Auerbach (Missoula)
  • Jessie Luther (Helena)
  • Morgan Weber (Helena)

Estate & Tax Planning

How to handle future transfers of personal and business assets are critical issues facing most individuals and families. BKBH has earned the confidence of our clients by bringing skill and insight to the personal process of addressing such issues.

Our attorneys advise clients on a variety of estate planning matters, including the drafting of wills, trusts, powers of attorney, living wills and related documents. Members of the firm also represent clients with post-mortem estate planning and in litigation involving estates. In addition, BKBH assists clients with the legal work needed due to a death, including handling estates requiring probate.

Tax planning is essential for anyone who is thinking about retirement and inheritance matters. Our tax attorneys at BKBH are experienced in providing comprehensive estate tax planning. BKBH’s trust and estates lawyers handle tax and probate matters for individuals and fiduciaries, including estate tax and retirement planning. We work with our clients to prepare the appropriate documents so that they can accomplish their estate planning and tax goals. We also assist trustees, personal representatives, and income beneficiaries in carrying out and/or defending them in discharging their administrative responsibilities for estates and trusts. BKBH works cooperatively with our clients to help them form and implement workable estate and succession plans. Members of the firm represent clients with post-mortem estate planning, probating estates, estate tax, trust administration and in litigation involving estates.

In addition to estate planning for individuals and families, BKBH attorneys understand the need to listen to plans and goals of our clients, analyze our client’s needs, and then suggest various options for long range business planning. We know that adequate and well thought out long range planning is the key to a successful business operation. Our attorneys can assist in the creation or restructuring of a business enterprise to achieve maximum tax advantages, to encourage new growth, increase public interest and investment, or better position your company for a merger and acquisition situation. Successful long range business planning must also include analysis of your present workforce and the need for implementation of employment incentives such as 401(k) and profit sharing plans, or stock distributions to key employees, in order to ensure your business retains its economic advantage by keeping a strong and loyal staff. Effective long range planning will also involve input from financial planners and marketers. BKBH attorneys have experience working with numerous business advisors who collectively work towards the continued success of your business.

Sub-Practice Areas:

• Business Tax Planning
• Estate Planning
• Personal Tax Planning

Representative Matters:

• Assisting clients and their families in planning for death by creating Wills & Trusts designed to implement their goals and save estate taxes.
• Planning for clients’ possible future mental disability by creating Financial Powers of Attorney, Health Care Powers of Attorney, and Living Wills.
• Advising Personal Representatives (Executors) and Trustees in routine legal paperwork to implement the client’s plans after death.
• Working to resolve family conflicts to ensure that probate estates are closed efficiently and to the satisfaction of all family members.
• Representing new business owners to set up their company with a legal entity such as a Limited Liability Company or Corporation including drafting and negotiations of agreements between business owners.
• Designing, reviewing, and negotiation of contracts in a variety of fields and industries.
• Assisting business owners in the purchase, sale or merger of their business.