“Serving the Lowcountry Community Since 1967”

Novit & Scarminach, P.A.

52 New Orleans Road

Jade Building Suite 400

Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

Mailing Address:

Novit & Scarminach, P.A.

P.O. Drawer 14

Hilton Head Island, SC 29938

(843) 785-5850

(843) 785-2090 (FAX)

This website is intended for use in South Carolina, only; although our attorneys are also licensed in New York, Tennessee, California and Ohio. No portion of this material should be construed as legal, accounting or financial advice.  It is merely intended as general educational information and does not necessarily represent the planning that should be implemented in your particular situation.

Whether your current estate plan needs to be updated to “fit” your current life situation or you want to consider the effect of the ever changing tax laws on your estate, we urge you to consult the Novit & Scarminach, P.A. estate planning lawyers.

Elizabeth Mayo and Catherine Scarminach will guide you through the complicated process and work with you to create the plan that efficiently and cost effectively transfers your assets to your selected heirs.  You will have comfort in knowing you have a plan to benefit the financial security and well-being of your family.

Wills are essential for every stage of your life to insure minor children or pets have an appointed guardian, your property and personal assets are distributed properly, and establishes your wishes for medical care should you be unable to coherently make decisions.

Wealth protection requires knowledge of Federal and State tax laws and creation of tax based inheritance strategies that insure maximum benefit.  This includes creation of Trusts, special tax vehicles such as limited liability companies and other facilities that fit your particular asset and wealth situation.

Elizabeth Mayo also has a significant background in working with family businesses and successor strategies.  She can help you and your family create, or protect, an existing structure to help keep your family business in your family, if that is your goal.  At the same time she will help create a strategy to minimize disruption of the family business while transferring control and thus limit tax impact.  When your plans do not include retention of the family business into the next generation, we can help to structure agreements with other owners to convert your equity in the business to cash.

We have numerous clients who have had a continuing Estate Planning relationship with our Firm over many years and periodically require our advice as their wealth increases, assets or business changes and family needs evolve.  These families benefit by not only our knowledge of the applicable laws but also by our familiarity with theirs and their changing plans.

Estate Planning

The importance of protecting your assets and choosing the right way to benefit your heirs from your work cannot be over emphasized in these times we all live in now.  Estate planning decisions made now can help to insure that the wealth you have built will succeed to the next generation.  The various tax laws will impact many of your decisions and charting a path through the pitfalls requires the help of experienced professionals.