Duggan & Hughes offers probate litigation services in will contests, interpretation of wills and trusts, reformation of trusts, and breach of fiduciary duties. We also handle adult protective proceedings (guardianships and conservatorships).
Probate Administration
Duggan & Hughes represents clients in all aspects of estate and trust administration. We represent personal representatives and trustees in the administration of estates and trusts to assist them with carrying out their fiduciary responsibilities and duties.
Estate Planning
Sound estate planning should withstand outside challenges and provide for the orderly transfer of assets following death. Your estate plan should effectively reflect your final wishes and make life easier for your beneficiaries at your death. Duggan & Hughes, LLC can help you achieve your wishes.
Living Wills
If you are currently considering or working on estate planning for yourself or a loved one, a living will, an advance health care directive, should be considered as an important and necessary component of your legal planning. A living will provides guidance to family members and medical professionals regarding extraordinary life support measures and end-of-life care.
Estate Disputes
If your loved one has recently passed, the added stress of a dispute is the last thing you want to be dealing with. Many types of issues may arise when dealing with estates and final wills. Estate Dispute lawyers at Duggan & Hughes are here to help with your probate and estate law litigation needs in Greer, Greenville, and Upstate South Carolina.
Guardianship
If you know someone who, because of a disability, can no longer manage their money or make decisions about their personal or medical care, that person may need a court-appointed Guardian or Conservator. In the case of a minor, a Conservator must be appointed in certain cases when the minor is entitled to receive a sum of money from an insurance settlement, inheritance, etc. Duggan & Hughes can guide you through the legal process to be appointed as Guardian and/or Conservator for your loved ones.
Power of Attorney
During your lifetime, you need a durable financial power of attorney and a health care power of attorney. Financial and health care power of attorney are intended to prevent the more expensive and less flexible court-appointed guardianship and conservatorship that may otherwise be necessary in the event of incapacity. The health care power of attorney also allows you to give your agent the power to make health care decisions for you if you cannot make those decisions for yourself.
Trusts
A trust is a highly effective planning instrument for providing various options such as financial resources for the healthcare of a family member, education funding for grandchildren, support for a charity, asset protection and income designated for an heir. Duggan & Hughes works with financial planners, accountants and other professionals when designing and implementing trusts for our clients. We recognize the importance of all estate planning elements working together and our trust attorney can review existing strategies such as your will, healthcare directive, power of attorney and business continuity plan to make certain they complement a trust.
Wills
The creation of a will is the simplest form of estate planning. A will is a legal written document by which you designate the persons or entities who will receive the assets you own as well as appoint legal guardians for your minor children. Additionally, your will designates a trusted individual, known as a Personal Representative, responsible for administering your estate. A will must be executed in the presence of two witnesses and acknowledged by a Notary Public. A will properly implemented in one state will be valid in any other state in which death may occur.
Estate and Trust Litigation
Disputes often arise in probate court regarding the probate of Wills and appointment of representatives, the interpretation of Wills or Trusts, and the failure of representatives and trustees to carry out their duties as required by law. These matters require help from a skilled attorney who can help keep your best interests at the forefront of your case.