PRIVATE CLIENT SERVICES

FMS provides a full range of estate planning services to individuals and families and succession planning for small and midsized businesses.

Attorneys practicing in our Private Client Services Group have training and experience in the evaluation and assessment of estate planning needs, including both estate and income tax planning, and planning for the management of estate or business assets during disability.

Estate planning attorneys strive to provide family members with the flexibility necessary to deal with unforeseen family circumstances, including an unexpected death in the family. The estate planning attorneys at FM&S have the necessary knowledge of options available to implement an estate plan, both prior to and following a death in the family, that will provide that flexibility.

For those individuals and businesses in a lawsuit or other legal proceedings involving the control or disposition of estate or business assets, our attorneys also have litigation experience to provide top-notch representation for the protection or preservation of your interests.


What We Do For You

The attorneys in our group provide a full range of estate planning for individuals, families and businesses, which includes the following:

  • Wills – With or Without Trust Provisions
  • Powers of Attorney – Financial & Healthcare
  • Revocable Trusts – Creating & Funding
  • Irrevocable Trusts – Insurance Trusts, Charitable Trusts, Asset Protection Trusts
  • Special Needs Trusts
  • Estate & Income Tax Planning
  • Formation of LLC’s & Corporations
  • Business Succession Plans
  • Operating Agreements for LLC’s

Who We Serve

In addition to planning on the front end, the attorneys in our group provide the following litigation services associated with the protection of you or your loved one’s estate during disability and the administration of wills and trusts following your death:

  • Guardianship/Conservatorship Proceedings – Contested & Uncontested
  • Probate of Wills – Limited or Small Estates and Full Administration
  • Asset Transfers without Probate
  • Trust Administration
  • State & Federal Tax Compliance (Tax Returns and Other Tax Filings)
  • Contested Probate Matters & Will Contests
  • Surviving Spouse Claims/Disputes
  • Prosecution & Defense of Claims by Executors/ Administrators

Back to all Practice Areas

EXPERIENCED ATTORNEYS

James E. Wagner

Attorney

Richard T. Scrugham, Jr.

Attorney

Kevin A. Dean

Attorney

Related Blogs

Will Contests in Tennessee – What should you know?

You strongly suspect that your deceased family member’s will was obtained, by another family member or individual, through “dubious circumstances.” How should you proceed? What is the legal basis to challenge a probated will in Tennessee, and what is the process involved? You should first contact a qualified probate litigation attorney who will be able […]

REVOCABLE LIVING TRUSTS – Practical Management & Transfer of Assets

There are many reasons for considering the use of a Revocable Living Trust as part of your estate plan, which involves the creation and funding of a stand-alone trust agreement during your lifetime (a/k/a “inter vivos trust”) instead of creating trusts after your death by including trust provisions in your Will (a/k/a “testamentary trust”). For […]

Don’t Forget Income Tax Planning When Drafting Your Estate Plan

Because of Tennessee’s repeal of the State Gift Tax and the pending repeal of the State Inheritance Tax after January 1, 2016, you may have overlooked tax planning opportunities that exist in your current estate plan. A resident of Tennessee, or any other state, must still keep in mind and plan for the fact that […]

POWER OF ATTORNEY DOCUMENTS – Why Everyone Needs Them

Statistics show that we are living longer than previous generations and that we are more likely to experience a disabling mental or physical condition prior to our death. Appointing someone to manage your financial and medical affairs during such disability with a Durable Power of Attorney can avoid the need to have a Court appoint […]

Business Succession Planning—Don’t Let Tennessee Run Your Business!

According to Forbes Magazine in 2013, only 1/3 of family businesses successfully make the transition to the second generation. Don’t let your family business join the 2/3’s that fail. With a few easy steps, you can plan for a smooth and successful transition from one generation to the next. The first, and easiest step, is […]

Hall’s Income Tax Exemption Amended – Law Passed May 18, 2015

The only income tax assessed in Tennessee is the Hall’s Income Tax, which is a 6% tax on earnings from stocks and bonds. Most folks who are subject to the Hall’s Income Tax have been watching and waiting for the Hall’s Income Tax to be either modified or outright repealed, given recent significant changes to […]

Elder Abuse – What to Look For and How to Help

The financial exploitation of older Americans by their own families, friends, acquaintances, and salespeople is a serious problem in our country – particularly as the number of older citizens increase. It is estimated that more than 2/3 of elder abuse perpetrators are family members. If you suspect that an elderly person is being preyed upon […]

Contact us