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Trusts & Estates and Family Law

The attorneys of Stites & Harbison’s Trusts & Estate Planning Group routinely serve clients in a range of matters that include:

  • Wills
  • Living trusts
  • Irrevocable trust agreements
  • Marital deduction trusts
  • Generation-skipping trusts
  • Qualified personal residence trusts
  • GRATs and GRUTs
  • Trusts for minors
  • Powers of attorney
  • Advance medical directives
  • Tax counsel for minimizing current income taxes, future inheritance and estate taxes, and taxes on retirement
  • Handling of income tax matters at death
  • Planning to avoid the generation-skipping tax
  • Exercising powers of appointment
  • Beneficiary and distribution decisions under qualified retirement plans and IRAs

Family Law

The Nashville, Tennessee-based Family Law practice of Stites & Harbison focuses almost exclusively on divorce, child custody, support, and family issues. Representing clients with marital estates ranging from a few hundred thousand dollars to more than a hundred million dollars, the group handles a wide variety of issues that arise before, during, and after marriages and other family relationships. The "before" includes the negotiation and drafting of prenuptial agreements. The "during" includes issues related to separation, divorce and custody. The "after" includes post-divorce disputes, appeals and other challenges to divorce or custody decrees.

Members of our group have a combined 90-plus years of family law experience. This experience includes the valuation and division of substantial business interests and intellectual properties, as well as structuring workable parenting plans in difficult situations.

Our experience has taught us that there is no such thing as a "cookie cutter" family lawsuit. Our attorneys have represented clients in divorces that cross state and national boundaries, and which involve international custody disputes and difficult jurisdictional issues. We commit to every client the same level of care, attention to detail, accessibility and sensitivity to privacy. We bring to bear in each case the resources necessary to properly resolve that case, including obtaining expert assistance for the appraisal of property and finding psychological and counseling professionals when needed.

One of the things that makes Stites & Harbison’s family law practice unique is our ability to draw upon the knowledge of other attorneys in the firm for assistance with issues involving real property, taxes, retirement plans, business disputes, immigration, and a host of other difficult questions.

Trusts & Estates and Family Law Specialty Areas
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Events

UK Women Innovators Network Panel Discussion

Date: 3/28/23
Time: 3:30pm - 5:30pm

University of Kentucky, Gatton Student Center, Ballroom 212A, 160 Avenue of Champions, Lexington, KY

Join Mandy Decker and the UK Office of Technology Commercialization for the UK Women Innovators Network panel discussion of the book "Funded Female Founders: How to traverse the uneven playing field and secure funding to grow your business."

Mandy Wilson Decker March 10, 2023
Press Releases

Children’s Advocacy Center of the Bluegrass Elects Gentry Collins to Board of Directors

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Children’s Advocacy Center of the Bluegrass (CAC of the Bluegrass) has elected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Gentry C. Collins to its Board of Directors. She will serve a three-year term.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC March 06, 2023
Events

When Race & Gender Meet: Experiences of Black Women in the Law

Date: 3/7/23
Time: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Louisville Bar Association Bar Center, 600 West Main Street, Louisville, KY 40202

Louisville office attorney Calesia Henson will be a member of the panel discussing "When Race & Gender Meet: Experiences of Black Women in Law" following the Louisville Bar Association's Justice William E. McAnulty Jr. Trailblazer Award presentation.

Calesia Henson February 22, 2023
Press Releases

Kentucky Super Lawyers Honors 49 Stites & Harbison Attorneys for 2023

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The 2023 edition of Kentucky Super Lawyers recently honored 49 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys in the Covington, Frankfort, Lexington and Louisville, Ky., offices. The publication named 37 attorneys to the Super Lawyers list and 12 attorneys to the Rising Stars list.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC January 12, 2023
Press Releases

Stites & Harbison Promotes Seven Attorneys

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC announced today that seven attorneys have been promoted: five to Member (Partner) and two to Counsel. The promotions are effective January 2023.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC January 06, 2023
Press Releases

Nine Stites & Harbison Attorneys Honored by 2022 Mid-South Super Lawyers

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The 2022 edition of Mid-South Super Lawyers recently honored nine Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys. Six attorneys were named to the Super Lawyers list and three were named to the Rising Stars list.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC December 01, 2022
Press Releases

Stites & Harbison Earns 87 Rankings in 2023 "Best Law Firms" List

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers® have released their 2023 “Best Law Firms” rankings. Stites & Harbison, PLLC’s three National Tier 1 rankings include: Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Real Estate, and Trademark Law. The firm’s overall results include 87 metropolitan rankings in six regions.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC November 04, 2022
Press Releases

Stites & Harbison Welcomes Elizabeth A. Garrett to the Nashville Office

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomes attorney Elizabeth A. Garrett to the Nashville, Tenn., office. She joins the firm as a Member (Partner) in the Family Law Practice.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC October 03, 2022
Press Releases

Stites & Harbison, PLLC Lawyers Named to 2023 Best Lawyers® Publications

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 98 of its lawyers are included in the 2023 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Additionally, 11 Stites & Harbison attorneys are named as “Lawyer of the Year” and 19 attorneys are recognized in “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch,” which recognizes attorneys early in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC August 18, 2022
Press Releases

Gregory Smith Earns Chambers USA High Net Worth Honor for 2022

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Chambers USA High Net Worth selected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Gregory D. Smith for inclusion in its 2022 guide in the category of Family/Matrimonial for USA: Tennessee. He is one of only four attorneys honored for Tennessee.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC August 03, 2022
Press Releases

Greg Smith Earns 2022 Best of the Bar Honor

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The Nashville Business Journal recently honored Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Greg Smith with the 2022 Best of the Bar award in the areas of executive and family law. He has earned the Best of the Bar award eight times.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC July 15, 2022
Press Releases

Stites & Harbison Welcomes Gentry Collins

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomes attorney Gentry C. Collins to the firm. She joins the Trusts & Estates Service Group and will be based in the firm’s Lexington, Ky., office servicing clients across the Commonwealth.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC July 11, 2022
Press Releases

Rob Moore Named Stites & Harbison’s Frankfort Office Executive Member

FRANKFORT, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Rob Moore has been named Office Executive Member for the Frankfort, Ky., office. He succeeds attorney Mark Overstreet, who has led the office since 1997.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC April 12, 2022