Silver Spring, MD Estate Planning Attorney
Feeney & Kuwamura, P.A.
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1010 Wayne Avenue Suite 350 Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 USA |
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(301) 587-2240
www.faklaw.com/
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Law Firm Overview
Feeney & Kuwamura, P.A. is a boutique business and estate planning law firm serving the residents of Maryland and Washington D.C. Our firm was founded in 1980 as Dena C. Feeney, P.A. In 2003, Diane K. Kuwamura joined the firm. Kerri M. Castellini is the newest member of our practice; she joined in 2007.
Our law firm provides comprehensive estate planning services to meet the needs of a broad range of people throughout Montgomery County and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. All of our lawyers are graduates of the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America in Washington, where Dena C. Feeney taught estate planning and federal taxation of wealth transfers as an adjunct professor for 15 years.
Our approach to the law is rooted in our commitment to providing legal representation of the highest caliber combined with personalized attention. We care about the people we serve. The focus of our firm, simply put, is to help people plan for the inevitable and get through difficult times.
Practice Areas
Additional Practice Areas: Estate and Trust Administration; Charitable Gift Planning; Planning with Life Insurance; Estate & Inheritance Tax Planning; Power of Attorney for Healthcare; Power of Attorney for Finances; Guardianship; Savings Bonds; Death Benefits; Retirement Benefits.
Practice Areas Description
Our legal services include:- Estate Planning
Our attorneys have decades of experience in estate planning and are adept at helping people to understand the steps involved without being overwhelmed by the process. When we meet with clients to begin the estate planning process, we start by having an in-depth conversation to learn about their unique situation. We help our clients to identify their concerns and objectives. We answer whatever questions need to be addressed and then we clearly explain the options.
- Estate and Trust Administration
At estate administration law firm Feeney & Kuwamura, P.A. in Silver Spring, we help executors and trustees fulfill their obligations. We assist them with their fiduciary duties and other responsibilities and in general act as advisors to executors. An executor or administrator, also known as a personal representative, is the individual named to implement the instructions expressed in a Will. More often than not, people called upon to serve as personal representatives have no previous experience in the role.
- Probate
Probate is the process by which, if there is a Will, the court supervises the transfer of assets from the deceased's estate to their intended beneficiaries. If no valid Will exists, then the state laws decide how the property should be distributed. The process of probate is also designed to make sure that the estate's taxes and creditors are paid in the appropriate order. At Feeney & Kuwamura, P.A., we are here to help residents of Washington, D.C. and Maryland with the entire process of probate from start to finish.
- Wills
Our lawyers strongly believe it is never too early to plan for the future. A comprehensive Will is a great way to protect your assets for future generations. It is important to note that when you should die without a valid Will, state law decides upon the distribution of your solely owned personal possessions, real estate, bank accounts, investments and other property. A Will should clearly set forth your plan for the disposition of your estate. As a result, a Will can also help make the process of probate much easier and less time consuming.
- Trusts
A trust is a written contract under which legal title to assets is transferred to a trustee who holds, invests and administers the assets for the benefit of those designated as the beneficiaries of the trust. Trusts are created to provide relief from the burden of managing property, to provide financial security for a loved one, to protect and provide for minors, to minimize probate as a means of giving to charitable organizations, and for tax reasons. At Feeney & Kuwamura, P.A., we are well versed in the technicalities surrounding drafting effective trusts that serve the needs of all our clients, small and large alike.
- Charitable Gift Planning
Charitable gift planning can be an integral part of any estate plan. Charitable gift planning can be utilized, in conjunction with other estate planning techniques, to reduce and minimize estate and inheritance taxes which may be due after the death of an individual. At Feeney & Kuwamura, P.A., we engage in discussions with our clients to clarify their charitable gift planning goals and the impact of those goals on their overall estate plan. Once a determination has been made as to which charitable techniques will be implemented, we work with our clients to incorporate those techniques into a plan which accomplishes their charitable gift planning goals.
- Planning with Life Insurance
Life insurance can be an excellent estate planning tool — in the appropriate circumstances. Our knowledgeable estate planning attorneys can help you to consider your life insurance options in the context of your entire financial situation. The need for life insurance, like other instruments of estate planning, is not the same for everyone. As part of our law firm's comprehensive approach to estate planning, we assist clients with a variety of life insurance planning and related matters, including: Survivorship; Beneficiary designation; Charitable gift planning; Estate and trust administration; Guardianship.
- Estate & Inheritance Tax Planning
The State of Maryland imposes both an inheritance tax and an estate tax. Some heirs are exempt from the inheritance tax, including but not limited to the child, spouse, siblings, parents and grandparents of the deceased. The laws regulating inheritance taxes and estate taxes are complex, to say the least. For anyone concerned about estate and inheritance tax planning, the best strategy is to work with an experienced estate and inheritance tax planning attorney. Our practice includes experience in matters related to the following: Inheritance tax planning; Estate tax planning — federal and state; Savings bonds; Death benefits; Real estate; Life insurance; Retirement benefits.
- Power of Attorney for Healthcare
Who will make decisions for you and your care if you are unable to make decisions for yourself? At our law firm, we understand that no one likes to think about being incapacitated, much less discuss it with a lawyer. But it is very important, and our attorneys have years of experience in helping people to do just that: to talk about and deal with difficult issues in a positive way. Creating a durable power of attorney for health care is an integral part of the estate planning process.
- Power of Attorney for Financial Matters
What is a durable financial power of attorney? A durable financial power of attorney is a legal document which allows you to delegate authority to another person to act on your behalf during your lifetime regarding your financial matters. It will survive your incapacity. Such a power of attorney can be effective immediately or upon your incapacity. A durable financial power of attorney does not address health care matters. Our attorneys have years of experience in assisting people to do just that: to talk about and deal with difficult issues in a positive way.
- Guardianship
A guardian is a person appointed by a court to manage the affairs of another, either a minor or an adult, whom the court has determined to be incapacitated or otherwise unable to manage his or her own affairs. There are two types of guardianship: guardian of the person and guardian of the property. At Feeney & Kuwamura, P.A. in Silver Spring, we represent people seeking to be appointed guardians. In the case of an adult, the need to establish a guardianship typically arises because of advanced age or incapacity and when there is no power of attorney delegating authority to someone to make decisions.
Attorneys
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Ms. Dena C. Feeney
Attorney Estate Planning, Tax |
Ms. Diane K. Kuwamura
Attorney Estate Planning, Tax |
More Information on Feeney & Kuwamura, P.A.
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