Practice Overview

Representative Experience

Estate Planning and Probate

• Helps clients to understand how their circumstances will affect their estate: what they own, how they own it, and who will receive it at death

• Works with clients to create an appropriate estate plan, taking into account the client’s property, family situation, and goals

• Identifies how property will pass at death through wills and trusts

• Establishes powers of attorney and health care directives

• Provides estate, gift, and income tax planning and preparation to address key tax questions

• Helps families when a loved one has died, addressing key questions regarding wills, property transfer, determining beneficiaries and tax responsibilities

Trust Administration

• Represents trustees and beneficiaries in trust and trust administration matters, educating them on trustee responsibilities, identifying beneficiaries, tax implications and maintaining trust terms.

• Handles court filings and advocates for clients in estate and trust court proceedings, as appropriate

• Serves as the trustee or beneficiary’s advocate and intermediary in communications with other trustees and/or beneficiaries

Charitable Planning – Individuals and Institutions

Tara advises clients on issues related to planning charitable contributions, including:

• Charitable gifts at death

• Gifts through wills and trusts

• Beneficiary designations

• Charitable remainder trusts

• Charitable lead trusts

• Private foundations

• Charitable gift annuities

• Placing restrictions on charitable gifts

• Tax implications for gifts while alive as well through an estate

• Gift acceptance policies

• Interpretation of charitable instruments

Nonprofit

Tara counsels nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations on issues unique to them, such as:

• Preparation of articles, bylaws, resolutions for nonprofit corporations, limited liability companies, and charitable trusts

• Preparation of IRS Form 1023 and seeking federal tax-exempt status under 501(c)(3), (c)(4), (c)(6), and other sections of the Internal Revenue Code

• Nonprofit mergers and acquisitions

• Corporate governance, board-of-director and officer training

• Sales and property tax exemptions

• Registration with and reporting to the Minnesota Attorney General

• Professional fundraising questions

• Charitable gambling

• Lobbying

• Employee benefits issues

View All Related Experience