Impact of Blended Families on Estate Planning: Effective Trust Structures, Beneficiary Challenges, Litigation

Ms. Hesla assists clients and companies through all aspects of trust and probate litigation, estate administration, elder law, and real estate, employing an empathetic yet assertive approach to problem-solving as she navigates complex and emotionally charged matters. Boasting over 10 years of residential and commercial real estate experience, she has an established reputation managing trust and estate matters involving a real estate component. Further, as a former prosecutor, Ms. Hesla's clients value her assertive advocacy in matters involving financial exploitation, undue influence, and contested wills and trusts as well as guardianships and conservatorships.

Ms. McAlpin helps families, individuals, and fiduciaries navigate probate disputes, administer trusts and estates, and create estate plans. She advises clients on all aspects of estate planning, including wills, trusts (revocable and irrevocable), health care and financial powers of attorney, and living wills. As a complement to her estate planning practice, Ms. McAlpin litigates contested probate and trust claims involving trustees, personal representatives, beneficiaries, and the exploitation of vulnerable adults. She also has significant experience in probate and trust administration, guardianships, conservatorships, and taxation.

Ms. O’Neil has a person-centered estate planning practice in which she partners with her clients to create estate plans that put their wishes at the forefront. She often works with high-net worth individuals and business owners to craft estate plans that meet their goals of business succession planning, tax planning, and charitable giving. As part of her complex estate planning practice, Ms. O'Neil drafts many different types of revocable and irrevocable trusts for clients. These trusts include asset protection trusts, grantor and non-grantor spousal limited access trusts, intentionally defective grantor trusts, self-settled trusts, children’s trusts, annual exclusion gifting trusts, incomplete gift non-grantor trusts, single asset revocable trusts, charitable trusts, supplemental needs trusts, retirement trusts, real estate investment trusts, farm trusts, and cabin trusts. Ms. O'Neil works with clients to establish the traditional “core” estate planning documents that every plan needs – wills, financial power of attorneys, health care directives, and as needed, revocable trusts.