Charles W Giraud

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Trusts and Estate Planning

Bracewell attorneys understand that estate planning is a very personal process; every client is unique. Our skill and experience enables us to pursue a variety of sophisticated strategies to assist our clients to protect their wealth and pass it on to their loved ones. But for us, good estate planning involves more. We are committed to understanding each client's goals and concerns. We explain options and answer questions with as much simplicity or intricacy as our clients may desire. We work with our clients to craft wills, trusts, impaired judgment documents, business entities and charitable organizations to provide practical solutions that are as conservative or aggressive, and as simple or sophisticated, as their needs require.

Our lawyers strive to develop estate plans best suited to our clients' particular needs, through techniques such as wills, testamentary trusts, revocable trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, and living wills. We help clients coordinate retirement plan and life insurance beneficiary designations, and design and implement annual gift programs and other strategies to transfer wealth in the most tax efficient manner. We also utilize sophisticated estate planning structures such as:
* Irrevocable life insurance trusts
* Family limited partnerships
* Qualified personal residence trusts
* Generation-skipping trusts
* Qualified domestic trusts
* Pre- and post-marital agreements
* Grantor trusts and grantor retained annuity trusts
* Family charitable foundations

We advise closely held business owners to ensure that the value of their business interests will pass to their surviving family members in a manner that will not give rise to unwarranted taxes or disputes with their partners. When it is not possible or desirable for the business to continue with family ownership, we create business continuity plans to accomplish asset transfers to other owners in ways that meet tax, management, succession planning and estate planning goals. Similarly, if dissolution of the business is the most practical choice, our legal and valuation strategies combine tax-efficient asset liquidation and transfer techniques.

We also advise individuals and families regarding charitable planning. We design and implement private foundations and charitable trusts to fulfill clients' personal philanthropic goals while helping them minimize federal income and estate taxes.

Probate

Bracewell attorneys represent both individual and corporate executors guiding them through the estate administration process. We advise our fiduciary clients on their duties and responsibilities. We combine efficient handling of both the legal and business issues involved in the probate process with an appreciation of the tax and financial impact on our clients and estate beneficiaries.

After the loss of a family member, an executor often needs help understanding and putting into motion the estate administration process. We help the executor through the probate process by:
* Preparing and filing the appropriate probate pleadings
* Gathering, assimilating and filing the estate inventory
* Filing the required notices
* Preparing and filing estate tax returns
* Providing advice regarding post-mortem estate and tax planning
* Funding and distributing estate assets

We also represent executors, trustees and beneficiaries in disputed estate or trust matters such as will contests and breach of fiduciary duty claims. In addition, for family members of our clients who face the prospect of impaired mental capacity, we represent individuals in uncontested and contested guardianship matters.

Fellow - American College of Trust & Estate Counsel

Charles W Giraud
Bracewell & Giuliani LLP
Pennzoil Place - South Tower
711 Louisiana St #2300
Houston TX 77002-2770
Tel: 713 221-1492
Fax: 713 221-2195
E-mail: charles.giraud@bgllp.com

Charles W. Giraud III’s practice focuses on the federal taxation of estates, trusts and all other matters involving family wealth management.

Mr. Giraud counsels and represents individuals and private entities exclusively in the areas of probate and trust litigation, will contests, powers of attorney, guardianships and revocable trusts, and federal tax liens. He has assisted clients in filing Federal Estate Tax Returns reflecting IRC Section 2032A, Special Use Valuation; in making gifts of personal residence in GRIT arrangements; in making generation-skipping gifts; and in life insurance planning, including use of irrevocable life insurance trusts.