DC and Maryland Trusts and Estates Attorney

Washington lawyer helps you build an effective plan
With more than 40 years of experience, Marsha E. Swiss helps you with all aspects of your trusts and estates issues, including:

Estate planning Estate taxes Executorship duties Guardianship Living wills

Living trusts Probate Probate and will disputes Wills drafting and execution

Estate planning
You worked hard to accumulate your assets, and you have the right to dispose of them as you see fit. When devising an estate plan, we advise you on how to protect your children, support your loved ones, and advance important causes through charitable gifts. After detailed analysis of your estate, Marsha E. Swiss devises a plan to effectively transfer your assets, minimize taxes, establish guardianship for your children, care for your pets, support philanthropic causes, and protect your loved ones. She drafts a will that reflects your desires, and she also establishes living trusts if they are appropriate to your estate planning goals.

Probate
After you have lost a loved one, dealing with the complicated probate process can add to the burden. Knowledgeable, assiduous attorney Marsha E. Swiss takes charge of the probate process and minimizes this weight.

She assists executors in all steps of the complex process of probating a will in Washington, D.C. or Maryland probate court, including:

Creating a plan of action to probate the estate fairly and expeditiously Filing the will with the DC or Maryland probate court Closing and opening bank accounts Transferring assets from the deceased to the estate

Paying taxes and other debts Locating beneficiaries Hiring professional experts, when necessary

Probate disputes
A probate dispute aggravates the stress and pain of your emotional loss. When probate disputes arise, Marsha E. Swiss is prepared to challenge an ambiguously or incorrectly executed will or to defend your rights against disgruntled beneficiaries. She uses her mediation skills to minimize the hostilities between family members that often arise during the emotionally charged process. She is equally ready to fight assertively for your beneficiary rights in DC or Maryland probate court.