After twenty-nine years with the federal government - with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and then the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation - Frank Allen retired and opened an office in his home on Capitol Hill, concentrating on estate planning and administration in the District of Columbia. His extensive legal experience taught him the importance of looking ahead, planning for various contingencies and carefully documenting the result intended when those contingencies occur. A little forethought can avoid a lot of expense, uncertainty and controversy later.
Since leaving the government, Frank Allen has:
· Represented surviving spouses, heirs and Personal Representatives;
· Prepared wills, trust documents, and documents necessary to adequate planning for disability;
· Studied estate planning in depth;
· Lectured on integrating retirement plans into estate.
· Represented parties in adversary proceedings in the Probate Division of the Superior Court for the District of Columbia;
· Prepared personal tax returns for estate planning clients.
Frank Allen serves, primarily, the estate planning and administration needs of middle class D. C. residents. His location in his home on Capitol Hill enables him to conveniently serve working married couples, single persons and same sex couples who don't think of themselves as "wealthy," but whose probable estates will have: (1) homes that have markedly increased in value; (2) defined contribution pension plans; (3) other tangible and intangible assets accumulated through working and saving. His extensive resume is available upon request to those considering hiring him for their legal needs.
After an extensive and varied career in government service with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Frank Allen retired and opened an office in his home on Capitol Hill. He provides legal services for single, married, or partnered District of Columbia (DC) residents who may not think of themselves as "wealthy," but who have accumulated substantial and valuable property, as a result of the growth in home values, the increasing popularity of defined contribution retirement plans and IRA's, and by saving some of what they have earned through their working lives.
In addition, people have come to realize that extraordinary advances in medical technology and knowledge make it possible to prolong life beyond the point where life has any meaning. For this reason, most estate planning lawyers, Frank Allen included, advise their clients to plan, not only for pre-mature death, but also for a period of disability that prevents making informed decisions about health care and personal business affairs.
Some people have an adult child with a disability that will always require attention and expense. They may want to look into the advantages and disadvantages of a special needs trust.
Estate taxes? Most estates don't have to pay them. But if an estate is subject to state or federal estate taxes, the rates are hefty. If your anticipated gross estate (probate property, insurance, remainder on pension plan, etc.) is approaching the million-dollar level, you should at least know what the likely tax consequences would be for your heirs and legatees.