Frantz Ward’s Estate Planning and Probate Administration team advises on an array of matters including estate planning, charitable giving, educational fund planning, and probate administration. Our attorneys partner with clients to develop tailored wills, trusts, family-owned entities, and powers of attorney, addressing each family’s unique needs such as asset protection, tax planning, and special provisions for descendants.
For philanthropists, Frantz Ward designs charitable trusts, private foundations, and public charities. Additionally, our attorneys assist business owners with succession planning matters including generational transition and exit strategies.
Frantz Ward supports executors and administrators in probate administration, ensuring compliance with required filings, accountings, and appraisals. We also counsel financial institutions on trust and estate administration.
Representative experience includes:
Design, drafting, and implementation of:
- Wills and trusts
- Asset protection trusts
- Family-owned entities
- Health care advance directives
- Financial powers of attorney
- Pre-marital and post-marital agreements
Advice and representation in:
- Probate administration
- Ongoing trust administration
- Adoptions
- Competency hearings
- Conservatorships
- Guardianships
- Will contests
- Fiduciary breach claims
Transactional counsel on:
- Business succession planning
- Charitable giving plan development and implementation
- Gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer tax issues
Representative Matters
- Serving as legal counsel for irrevocable trusts with an aggregate fair market value of more than $200 million.
- Provided counsel to clients and prepared documents for a $70 million bequest to charities in Northeast Ohio.
- Successfully represented the trustee in a multimillion-dollar divorce matter where the spouse ineffectively attacked the validity of the trust to increase the value of the marital estate.
