Practice Areas

Estate & Trust Administration

Paley Rothman’s estate and trust attorneys understand that administering the estate or trust of a family member or friend can seem overwhelming. The responsibilities of the personal representative (also known as the executor) and trustee may seem endless. Paley Rothman’s estate administration team has many years of experience assisting personal representatives and trustees in handling the full range of estate matters. We explain the process, outline all the requirements and deadlines, and provide assistance at every stage.

We prepare documents to be filed with the local probate court, complete estate tax returns for the IRS and state (or D.C.) tax authorities, work with financial institutions to re-title assets, prepare deeds, work with other professionals in valuing estate assets, and assist in paying creditors and beneficiaries. Our skilled team, mindful of the planning and technical opportunities available at the estate level, will advise the personal representative and, when applicable, the beneficiaries of options to preserve and protect estate assets. We work with estates and trusts in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia, handling estates of all sizes and complexity. 

We are mindful of the planning and technical opportunities often overlooked by less experienced attorneys. Our skilled estate and trust administration attorneys are able to assess the myriad financial, tax and personal considerations required when handling complicated estates. In addition to handling all of the issues involved in income and estate tax planning, we also are aware of elections available on a postmortem basis. We understand how critical it is for personal representatives and beneficiaries to be aware of these options and elections so they can optimally preserve and protect estate assets.

The estate and trust administration group includes several paralegals with extensive experience and deep understanding of the practical aspects of estate administration. They provide pragmatic solutions and valuable insights while remaining particularly sensitive to the emotional stress often experienced by personal representatives and trustees. Their ability to handle much of the work can be a tremendous relief to family members who have recently experienced the death of a close relative. Their lower billing rates, moreover, help preserve assets for the beneficiaries.

In instances where controversies among beneficiaries, fiduciaries and/or creditors develop, our responsiveness and sophisticated legal assistance can help to avoid time-consuming and expensive proceedings. When such a controversy cannot be resolved amicably, our estate and trust litigators pursue all available legal remedies, including challenges to wills and revocable trusts, interpretation of wills, trusts and contracts, determination of the rights and responsibilities of interested persons, guardianship matters and creditor disputes.

Paley Rothman’s complementary practices in estate planning, business succession planning, international estate tax, qualified retirement plansreal estate, income tax and litigation ensure that our clients have the comprehensive and skilled legal resources necessary to represent their interests.

Our estate and trust attorneys’ sophisticated insights into the preservation of estate assets and minimizing taxes for future beneficiaries have earned them recognition and awards from Super LawyersBest Lawyers in America, the Washington Business Journal, and the Washingtonian.

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Resource Center

Paley Rothman shares this library of resources with clients and friends of the firm to help them stay ahead of legal and business developments and trends. Here, you will find helpful tips and tools written by our attorneys on estate & trust administration topics. 

News

March 21, 2023

Michelle Chapin’s Article on the Use of Arbitration Causes in Trusts is Published by the MSBA’s Estate & Trust Law Section

Michelle Chapin, a Principal in Paley Rothman’s Estate Planning department, authored an article titled "(Un)Enforceability of Arbitration Clauses in Maryland Trusts" in the MSBA's Estate & Trust Law Section Newsletter Volume 29 Issue 1.

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Blog

Sec. Deb Haaland – First Native American in the Cabinet

Sec. Deb Haaland is the first Native American to serve in the President’s cabinet and has been instrumental in bringing attention and action to the horrific incident rate of...

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Awards

Paley Rothman is delighted to announce that 14 of the firm’s attorneys have been named Maryland Super Lawyers and Rising Stars for 2023. Family Law attorney Glenn Cooper was ranked the Number 1 Lawyer in Maryland. Both Glenn and Litigation attorney Trish Weaver were named in the Super Lawyers Top 100 List and Trish was honored in the list of Top 50 Women.

For the 11th year in a row, Paley Rothman earned national and local honors in U.S. News - Best Lawyers® 2023 "Best Law Firms" rankings.

Paley Rothman is pleased to announce that 19 lawyers have been selected in the 2023 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Jennifer Pope was named Best Lawyers: Ones To Watch for the first time alongside attorney Hayes Edwards. Attorneys Glenn Cooper, Hope Eastman, and Daniel Hodin have been listed Best Lawyers for 15 consecutive years.

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