Probate and Estate Planning Attorney in San Diego

Jerome Synold is a U.S. attorney admitted to practice in California and in the federal courts of the U.S. For over a decade, Jerome Synold has focused his practice on German-American inheritance and estate planning matters and works closely with the German attorneys of WF Frank & Partner and other law firms of the WF network to provide effective services for individuals and fiduciaries with probate and estate planning matters having a nexus to Germany. Jerome Synold maintains offices inSan Diego and Los Angeles, California, and is available by appointment.

Languages

English, Spanish, German (basic)

Services

Trust/Probate Proceedings in California, U.S.A.

Mr. Synold provides legal analysis and fiduciary services for estates with assets and/or beneficiaries in the U.S. His services include the following:

Serving as administrator for estates requiring probate in the U.S.;
Preparing and filing probate proceedings;
Serving as Trustee for trusts with a U.S. situs;
Litigating contentious trust and probate matters on behalf of clients before U.S. probate courts;
Preparing tax analysis advising clients regarding strategies for limiting U.S. federal and state tax liability;
Marshaling assets within the U.S. by working with financial institutions and real estate professionals to distribute assets efficiently;
Drafting estate plans for individuals with interests within and outside the U.S.;
Preparing legal analysis regarding U.S. inheritance laws to be used in foreign courts; and
Advising on family law issues impacting estate planning decisions within the U.S.

German-American Estate Planning

Mr. Synold routinely advises clients from common and civil law jurisdictions regarding estate planning for estates having a nexus to the U.S. Working closely with his colleagues in Europe, Mr. Synold provides superior estate planning services for estates with multiple jurisdiction exposure. Mr. Synold’s services include the following:

Review and analysis of existing wills and trusts;
Drafting of both U.S. wills and multi-jurisdictional testaments;
Structuring U.S. based revocable and irrevocable trusts to avoid and/or minimize German estate, inheritance and/or gift tax liability;
Advising on the use of payable on death accounts, life insurance and other instruments that allow for the transfer of assets outside of probate;
Advising on U.S. federal estate tax and the German-American Double-Taxation Treaty;
Advising on U.S. and German gift taxation; and
Preparing living wills and health care proxies.

Support for Foreign Fiduciaries and Beneficiaries

Mr. Synold works with fiduciaries and beneficiaries of estates located in foreign jurisdictions to marshal assets located in the U.S. and seek recognition of estate planning documents. His services include the following:

Obtaining recognition of foreign wills/testaments;
Litigating conflict of laws issues in U.S. courts;
Providing analysis regarding the applicability of U.S. inheritance law;
Obtaining control over U.S. situs assets thereby allowing for distribution;
Liquidating U.S. situs assets pursuant to instructions provided by fiduciaries/beneficiaries;
Obtaining court certification of foreign documents;
Obtaining court certified translations; and
Obtain apostilles for foreign and domestic documents.

Tax Matters Affecting Foreign Beneficiaries

Mr. Synold advises clients with exposure to U.S. tax law regarding effective strategies for minimizing and/or negating U.S. tax liability. Further, Mr. Synold works with financial institutions and the IRS to obtain the release of funds withheld from distributions to foreign beneficiaries. Mr. Synold’s services include:

Drafting legal memorandum advising clients of strategies for minimizing U.S. tax exposure;
Working with financial institutions and the IRS to obtain the efficient release of funds withheld from distributions to foreign beneficiaries;
Preparing persuasive statements regarding the applicability of treaty law to minimize withholding;
Obtaining tax certificates and releases from the IRS and state franchise boards;
Obtaining ITIN’s for foreign beneficiaries;
Preparing and filing the requisite tax returns and related forms for foreign estates, beneficiaries and fiduciaries.