A Tax, Business, Estate and Trust Law Praictice

We are an estates and trusts law boutique in downtown Annapolis, Maryland.  Fred Franke is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel; he is past chair of the Estate and Trust Section of the Maryland State Bar Association; and he was an adjunct professor of law at the University of Baltimore having taught the estates and trusts course in the night division.  The firm consists of a seasoned estates and trusts lawyer, an associate lawyer, a CPA skilled in fiduciary accounting issues, and trained paralegals.  We offer a personal and individualized approach to your estate planning needs.  

• Estate Planning: Planning to minimize death taxes and to assure the transfer of wealth to the intended beneficiaries.  We prepare the documents necessary to implement estate plans: simple and complex wills, revocable trusts, life insurance trusts, special needs trusts, family partnerships, charitable remainder trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, and many other documents.

• Asset Protection Planning: Assisting clients to structure their affairs so to reduce exposure to potential future creditors for themselves and for their beneficiaries.

• Estate/Trust Administration: Assisting in all facets of wealth transfer management including preparing estate tax returns and guiding clients through probate and non-probate wealth transfer.

• Fiduciary Litigation: Representing personal representatives, trustees, beneficiaries and others in estate or trust related litigation.

• Expert Witness and Consulting Services: Assisting lawyers in connection with litigation and/or estate planning for their clients.