Evan Michael Gilreath

I assist clients from all over Western North Carolina with their Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning, Probate, and Estate Administration needs.  I believe in delivering high quality, well thought-out legal services to our clients.  I am North Carolina Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law.  I take pride not only in my expertise, but also in my accessibility to clients. I have an experienced staff to assist clients in a knowledgeable, friendly, and thoughtful manner.  We want our clients to be as comfortable as possible.  I try to explain legal concepts in a way that is easy to understand.

My practice focuses on estate planning and estate/trust administration.  My estate planning practice includes advising clients on creating estate plans and the relevant income, estate, and gift tax issues; drafting estate planning documents, including Wills, Revocable Trusts, Durable Powers of Attorney, Health Care Powers of Attorney, and Living Wills; advising clients on the distribution of retirement plan assets and annuities at death; advising clients on estate tax planning, including estate tax portability, credit shelter trusts, qualified terminable interest trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, Crummey (gifting) trusts, discounted gifts, and family limited partnerships; preparing gift tax returns (Form 709); assisting in the creation of limited liability companies and drafting operating agreements; advising clients on trust “decanting” and assisting with trust decantings; and drafting pre-marital agreements.

My estate/trust administration practice includes advising clients on probate matters; preparing probate documents; representing clients in probate matters before the Clerk of Superior Court; advising clients on the settlement and distribution of Revocable Trusts and other kinds of trusts; assisting clients with funding continuing trusts and giving clients advice as to the proper administration of trusts; advising clients about the income and estate tax laws (including various tax elections) during the administration process; preparing Federal Estate Tax Returns (Form 706); and preparing Federal and North Carolina Fiduciary Income Tax Returns (Forms 1041 and D-407).