David S. Staggs

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT DAVID S. STAGGS

I develop and maintain tax-efficient strategies that help my clients protect their wealth and ensure that assets reach the intended beneficiaries. Working closely with families and their advisory teams, I structure and implement comprehensive estate plans, advise on irrevocable trusts, and manage estate administration.Clients rely on me for plans that balance their unique estate goals with the complexities of state and federal tax laws. I use a variety of trust and estate strategies creatively to reduce estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax and protect assets from potential creditors. Equally important is my focus on non-tax goals. Whether a client wants to carry on a philanthropic legacy, structure bequests in a blended family, or plan for succession in a closely-held business, I help create individualized solutions.I also help fiduciaries (executors and trustees) in the estate and trust administration process, from probating wills to preparing estate tax returns (and defending them against IRS audit), to the final accounting and distribution of property. Trustees also seek my counsel when administering revocable and irrevocable trusts, including decanting assets or changing the state governing law to reduce or defer income tax. Often serving as the “family lawyer,” I consult on a wide range of asset protection and tax issues, such as structuring premium-financed life insurance transactions, establishing domestic asset protection trusts, and gifting private business interests before an equity sale.