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An advanced directive, sometimes referred to as a “living will,” is a legal document that outlines a person’s health care decisions and appoints a Health Care Agent to act on behalf of that person in the event that he or she is no longer able to communicate his or her health care preferences. Given that…

On July 4, 2025, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” was signed into law. The Bill covers a variety of issues related to taxes, federal program spending, and government agencies, among other issues. However, one notable part of the Bill is its extension and enhancement of increased estate and gift tax exemption amounts. Our East…

Starting or managing a business comes with many moving parts. We often find that early legal planning helps reduce surprises down the line. Consulting with a small business lawyer can be useful when sorting through licenses, partnerships, and hiring processes, especially when changes start stacking up faster than expected. Below, we walk through some of…

In today’s unpredictable financial landscape, safeguarding your wealth is more critical than ever.  Whether you’re a business owner, a high-net-worth individual, or simply planning for the future, working with our asset protection lawyer can ensure your assets are secure from lawsuits, creditors, and unforeseen risks.  This article explores the role of an asset protection lawyer,…

While most think of distributing wealth when they hear about estate planning, those with high-net-worth seek to distribute their wealth discreetly.  Indeed, estate planning involves sensitive information concerning assets, family, and final wishes.  Such information, if made public, could lead to unwanted attention and publicity, family disputes, and attacks from frivolous lawsuits.  An East Greenwich,…

Estate Planning is critical for high-net-worth individuals to ensure wealth preservation, tax efficiency, and seamless transfer of assets to heirs or charitable institutions.  One way to plan during life is through gifting.  Below, an East Greenwich, RI will lawyer who has helped families with net worths as large as $300 million will explore the advantages…

Selecting a trustee is an important decision and may be more complex than it seems at first.  Depending on the type of trust you are creating, the trustee will manage your trust, distribute assets, prepare and file (or hire someone to prepare and file) trust income tax returns, make decisions regarding trust funding, and carry…

You have created your Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT) to shield the death benefit of your life insurance policy from inclusion into your Gross Estate for estate tax purposes.  However, the creation of your ILIT is just the beginning.  Without proper funding, you have a very expensive stack of paper that will not accomplish your…

Geoffrey M. Aptt, founder of Aptt Law LLC, brings over a decade of legal experience to his role as a trusted advisor to closely held and family-owned businesses. As outside general counsel, Mr. Aptt provides comprehensive legal support across a wide range of matters, including contract negotiation, employment law, compliance, and risk management. His background…

Estate Planning for real estate investors requires balancing tax efficiency, asset protection, and expectations about the amount of control one wants to maintain over their legacy.  For many investors, real estate is the cornerstone of their wealth.  The illiquid nature and tax complexities of real estate, however, provide a unique challenge to estate planning.  The…