Estate planning for high-net-worth individuals

For high-net-worth Arizona families, the point of a plan changes. You are not just avoiding probate. You are managing estate tax exposure, protecting assets from creditors, and coordinating across multiple entities, states, and generations.

Estate tax exposure and reduction strategies

The federal estate tax exemption is high today but scheduled to drop. Planning that anticipates the change, rather than assuming today's exemption will hold, is the difference between a plan that ages well and one that does not.

Irrevocable trust structures

ILITs remove life insurance from your estate. SLATs move assets out of your estate while leaving your spouse as a backstop. Dynasty trusts preserve wealth across generations without paying transfer tax at each level.

QSBS tax planning for founders

If you are a founder with qualified small business stock, layered trust structures can multiply the QSBS exclusion and save meaningful federal tax at exit.

Charitable planning

CRTs, CLTs, and donor-advised funds each serve different goals. The right one depends on whether your priority is current income, tax deduction timing, or transferring wealth to heirs.

Asset protection at scale

The more visible your assets, the more creditor exposure you have. Layered LLCs, domestic asset protection trusts, and careful titling can reduce that exposure without getting cute with fraudulent transfer law.

Multi-state and cross-border considerations

If you have homes, businesses, or property in multiple states, each one has its own rules about taxation, titling, and transfer. A plan needs to account for all of them.

Why generic plans break down at higher asset levels

A plan that works at $2 million does not necessarily work at $20 million. The tools change, the risks change, and the coordination across professionals matters more.