Estate Administration

Estate administration, handled with care from start to finish.

Settling an estate is one of the most consequential responsibilities a person can be asked to take on. Executors and administrators face a tangle of legal, tax, and financial obligations, often while managing family dynamics and grief at the same time. Even a well-crafted estate plan requires careful execution, and the stakes for getting it wrong are real.

Ward and Smith’s Estate Administration team can help.

Ward and Smith’s estate administration attorneys and paralegals help executors, administrators, trustees, and beneficiaries navigate the process from start to finish. We work with clients regardless of who prepared the original estate plan, and we bring the same care and thoroughness to every administration, whether the estate is straightforward or complex.

Our estate administration services include:

• Commencing, administering, and formally closing estate and probate proceedings, including preparation and filing of all required documents and accountings
• Ascertaining and paying valid estate debts
• Collecting and transferring estate assets to the appropriate beneficiaries
• Postmortem tax planning to minimize taxes and address liquidity issues
• Preparing and filing death tax and fiduciary income tax returns
• Handling tax examinations and audits
• Resolving death tax and fiduciary income tax disputes
• Advising trustees on their ongoing fiduciary duties
• Representing fiduciaries and beneficiaries in controversies concerning the validity, interpretation, and implementation of wills and trusts

Estate administration does not always go smoothly.

When disputes arise, whether over the meaning of a will, the conduct of a fiduciary, or the rights of a beneficiary, our attorneys are experienced in both negotiating resolutions and litigating contested matters in North Carolina courts.

Whatever the size or complexity of the estate, you can be assured that Ward and Smith will handle the administration with diligence, discretion, and respect for the people and the planning behind it.