Finding an attorney who is a “real person” can be difficult. Many attorneys surround themselves almost exclusively with other attorneys and are accustomed to speaking in ivory tower legalese. You should be able to connect with your attorney on a personal level, and he or she should speak to you in plain language that you can understand. You will be working very closely with this person on issues that are very important to you. It is important that he or she be down-to-earth and someone that you connect with.
The most common complaint that clients have of their attorneys is that the attorney is unreachable, does not communicate with them regularly, or does not promptly return your calls. Your attorney should reach out to you about your case regularly and respond within 24 hours to calls and e-mails. An open line of communication between you and your attorney is essential to building trust.
Your attorney’s goal should not be to win at all costs. Rather, it should be to achieve a favorable outcome for you as efficiently as possible. It is important that your attorney set realistic expectations at the outset as to the costs you should expect, the concerns that the attorney has about the outcome of your case, and the length of time that you should expect your case to take.
Regardless of the nature of your case, we have an experienced attorney who will focus on your individual needs. Our team of attorneys works closely together, bringing each of their different fields of experience to bear in order to optimize our client care.
Kevin's firm handled setting up my will and trust recently. They took something that seemed intimidating and made it easy to understand. I've also referred a couple clients to Kevin - he's trustworthy, approachable and very fairly priced.
"I've used Kevin and his firm's services since 2011. He gave undivided attention to my cases, advised me on different options and..."
"Kevin was extremely professional, responsive and knowledgeable when I came to him for help. I would definitely recommend O'Flaherty Law!"
Our highly-skilled Des Moines estate tax attorneys will thoroughly manage your advanced estate tax planning needs to help you minimize, or potentially eliminate estate taxes from your estate. Not only can we assist you in customizing a new plan aimed at reducing your estate taxes but we can also help with your existing estate plans in order to further mitigate costs.
Please contact our friendly lawyers to Schedule a Consultation.
The purpose of a consultation is to determine whether our firm is a good fit for your legal needs. Although we often discuss expected results and costs, our attorneys do not give legal advice unless and until you choose to retain us.
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Des Moines, IA 50312
I am personally committed to ensuring that each one of our clients receives the highest level of client service from our team. Our mission is to provide excellent legal work in a cost-effective manner while maintaining open lines of communication between our clients and their attorneys. Many of our clients are going through difficult times in their lives when they reach out to us. They should feel comfortable leaning on the experience and knowledge of our attorneys as their counselors and advocates. We are here to help!
In this video, our Des Moines estate tax appeal attorneys explain how an estate tax is levied against the entirety of an estate, including any property, monetary assets, business assets, etc, owned by the decedent. Iowa is one of thirty-six states that do not collect an estate tax. However, if your estate is valued at 11.58 million and above it will be subject to the federal estate tax, which comes with its own set of rules and exemptions. While it’s best to consult a qualified probate attorney for nearly all estates when estate planning, estates with significant value, containing multiple properties and assets, demand the services of a law firm.
An inheritance tax is only imposed against the beneficiaries that receive property or money from the decedent. Anything that is payable to the estate upon death is not included in the calculation of inheritance tax in Iowa and anything payable to a beneficiary, such as a life insurance policy, is subject to the inheritance tax, depending on the relationship between the decedent and the beneficiary.
In this video, our Des Moines estate tax appeal attorneys explain how probate is the official manner in which an estate is settled under supervision of the court. When a person dies without an established will, an executor is appointed (typically a surviving spouse or adult child of the deceased) to gather and value owned assets, settle remaining debts, and distribute assets to heirs. Probate prevents fraud and theft after a death. Without it, debts could go unpaid and assets could be improperly distributed.
In this video, our Des Moines estate tax appeal attorneys explain what an LLC is and how to use it in your Iowa estate planning. An LLC is a legal business structure that provides the owners with protection from the company’s liability and debts, as well as a host of other tax and business incentives. It is described as a hybrid model, taking some of the benefits of a corporation, such as reduced liability and tax incentives, and marrying them with the less rigorous structure of a partnership, making it a great option for small businesses. As a partnership, members of the LLC report their profits and losses on their individual tax returns. If you’ve amassed a certain amount of wealth that you’d like to distribute to your children and grandchildren, or maybe you’re just looking for a way to soften the potential impact of the estate tax, setting up an LLC can provide solutions, such as: