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.
Sara Elrod Ruml Joins Stites & Harbison
COVINGTON, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomes attorney Sara Elrod Ruml as Counsel to the firm based in the Covington and Louisville, Ky., offices. She joins the Trusts & Estate Planning Group.
Gregory Smith Earns Chambers High Net Worth Honor for 2023
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Chambers High Net Worth selected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Gregory D. Smith for inclusion in its 2023 guide in the category of Family/Matrimonial for USA: Tennessee. He is one of only four attorneys honored for Tennessee. Chambers High Net Worth ranks top lawyers and law firms in the international private wealth market. This is Smith’s third time earning the honor.
Stites & Harbison Signature Event
Time: 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, 430 West Vine Street, Lexington, KY 40507
Join Stites & Harbison for this Signature Event in Lexington for a special evening at Rupp Arena.
Greg Smith and Lauren Paxton Roberts Earn 2023 Best of the Bar Honors
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The Nashville Business Journal recently honored Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys Greg Smith and Lauren Paxton Roberts with the 2023 Best of the Bar awards. Smith has been honored nine times for family law. This is Roberts’ first time being honored in the litigation and dispute category.
Corporate Counsel Recognizes Marjorie A. Farris with 2023 Women, Influence & Power in Law Award – Managing Partner of the Year
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Corporate Counsel has honored Stites & Harbison, PLLC Chair Marjorie A. Farris as a “Managing Partner of the Year” in its 2023 Women, Influence & Power in Law (WIPL) Awards. She is one of six women honored in this category across the country.
Stites & Harbison, PLLC Lawyers Named to 2024 Best Lawyers® Publications
LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 101 of its lawyers are included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.
Stites & Harbison Welcomes Mary Elizabeth King to Nashville Office
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomes attorney Mary Elizabeth King to the firm’s Nashville, Tenn., office. She joins the Family Law practice.
“To Text or Not to Text…” Challenges to Defending Employment Matters Involving Text Messages
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:40 p.m.
WEBINAR
Employment attorney Shannon Hamilton challenges an employer may face when defending an employment matter that involves text messaging as evidence along with other matters in this myLawCLE webinar.
Blue Grass Community Foundation Elects Gentry C. Collins to Board of Directors
LEXINGTON, Ky.—Blue Grass Community Foundation has elected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Gentry C. Collins to its Board of Directors. She will serve a three-year term.
UK Women Innovators Network Panel Discussion
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."
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.
When Race & Gender Meet: Experiences of Black Women in the Law
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.