Contact Us:

➤ Office LOCATIONS

Broomfield, Colorado

Serving clients located in Colorado, California, Washington DC, & New York

☎ CONTACT

(720) 772-9193

info@frutiglaw.com

Cleveland, Ohio

Serving clients located in Ohio

☎ CONTACT

(216) 509-8904

info@frutiglaw.com

Estate Planning: Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Advance directives, and nuptial agreements

Estate planning is the process of anticipating and arranging for the management and distribution of a person’s assets and affairs during their life and after death, while minimizing gift, estate, generation-skipping, and income taxes. This includes planning for incapacity as well as a process of reducing uncertainties over the administration of probate and maximizing the value of an estate by reducing taxes and expenses. Importantly, estate planning often includes designating guardians for minor children or beneficiaries with incapacity.

The ultimate goal of estate planning is determined by the specific goals of the client, and is as simple or complex as the client’s needs dictate. We help clients right-size the appropriate estate planning options to meet their goals and needs. Whether a client needs a will-based plan, a trust-based plan, or one-off documents, we always discuss the trade-offs between options with the aim of building a cost-efficient plan in a timely manner.

Trust Administration

Trust administration refers to the management of trust property according to the terms of a trust agreement and for the benefit of the trusts beneficiaries. Many steps are required to ensure effective trust administration, including ensuring that all trust assets are titled and managed appropriately, investing assets according to prudent investor standards, distributing assets to beneficiaries, accounting for all income and expenditures, paying all appropriate taxes, and, when necessary, closing the trust according to its terms.

Our trust-related legal services for a trustee include advising trustees and helping to establish processes to fulfill fiduciary duties. If designated as a professional trustee, Frutig Law LLC can also fulfill the legal requirements of being a trustee and managing and distributing trust assets in accord with the terms of the governing trust agreement.

Probate Administration

Probate administration is the legal process through which a deceased person’s assets assets are gathered, managed, and distributed. The process includes authenticating the last will and testament, if there is one, and appointing an executor/personal representative or administrator. This is followed by locating and determining the value of the person’s assets, paying their final bills and taxes, and distributing the remainder of the estate to the rightful beneficiaries or heirs. Each state has specific laws in place to determine what is required to probate an estate. We help clients understand how the law applies to their circumstances, identify the most efficient and cost-effective approach to settling the estate, and work with clients to manage conflict and risk.

mediation

Mediation is a voluntary form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR).  Mediation is particularly effective for parties hoping to salvage their existing relationships regarding a workplace dispute, contentious family decision-making, or drug/alcohol abuse. The goal of mediation is to reach a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that serves as a mutually-agreeable contract. Through this process, we help conflicted parties resolve disagreements by acting as a neutral mediator.   We listen to the parties in a confidential setting, guiding them to understand each other's viewpoint.  

Elder law

Elder law is a specialized area of legal practice that anticipates and manages legal and care issues related to aging. It covers estate planning, wills, trusts, arrangements for care, social security and retirement benefits, and protection against elder abuse (physical, emotional, and financial). We work with clients to ensure that their estate planning proactively addresses aging issues, including long-term care. Additionally, we help clients address acute situations arising from disabilities, incapacity, Federal and State benefit applications, nursing home and memory care requirements, and elder abuse.

BUSINESS law

Our business law practice focuses on on business formation, business management, and contracts for small businesses.

Business Formation and Operating Documents

Business law starts with setting up a business. Starting a new business typically starts with filing the paperwork that makes the business formally exist. Many types of business entities are similar throughout the country, but the exact entities that a new business can choose from vary by state. We help clients weigh the pros and cons of each entity type and educate the business founders to help choose the entity type that best fits their interest. Once a selection has been made, we assist in filing the paperwork to form the business, acquire appropriate licenses, and draft necessary business documents that govern how the business will function (operating agreements, shareholder agreements, buy/sell agreements, etc.).

Contract Drafting and Negotiation

A lot of business operation has to do with preparing and negotiating contracts. Contract drafting not only requires understanding statutes and principles of law and rules that have developed through the courts, it also requires understanding and appreciating the nuances of the client and their industry that will impact enforcement of a contract. We work closely with each client to understand their business, their industry, and their needs to ensure that contracts are tailored to our client’s interests.