SLAT Planning Serving Clients Nationwide from Ramsey. NJ

Can You Remove Millions From Your Taxable Estate Without Losing Spousal Access?

The current lifetime gift and estate tax exemption is historically generous, but it is also temporary. Founders, executives, and wealthy families who act now with proper SLAT Planning can lock in that exemption, remove appreciating assets from their taxable estate, and still preserve meaningful spousal access to the funds.

Based in Ramsey, NJ, Crowne Point Tax & Wealth Counsel serves families nationwide with Spousal Lifetime Access Trust Planning as part of a layered, multi-decade wealth architecture—not as a single document drafted in isolation.

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As Seen In

What Is a Spousal Lifetime Access Trust?

A Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT) is an irrevocable trust into which one spouse gifts assets for the benefit of the other spouse. Once funded, those assets are removed from the grantor spouse’s taxable estate, yet the beneficiary spouse retains access to trust distributions, preserving the couple’s indirect access to the wealth.

A Spousal Lifetime Access Trust is one of the most flexible tools in Slat Estate Planning precisely because it does two things simultaneously: it uses the grantor’s lifetime exemption to reduce future estate tax exposure, and it keeps the transferred wealth within reach of the family.

SLAT Planning is not a standard trust. It requires careful drafting to avoid the reciprocal trust doctrine, proper funding mechanics to prevent estate inclusion, and ongoing governance to keep the structure defensible over decades. A Spousal Access Lifetime Trust Attorney who understands both the legal and the tax dimensions is essential.

What's Included in Our SLAT Strategy Services

Our Spousal Lifetime Access Trust Planning is built around your family balance sheet, your timeline, and the broader layered trust architecture we design alongside it.

1. SLAT Structure Design

No two SLATs should look alike. We design each SLAT Trust around the specific assets being gifted, the family's liquidity needs, and the grantor's estate tax position — matched to your broader layered architecture of dynasty trusts, GRATs, and IDGTs.

Grantor and beneficiary design matched to family goals and exemption strategy
Trustee selection to preserve independence and defensibility
Distribution committee design for discretionary and mandatory distributions
Reciprocal trust doctrine avoidance built into the drafting from day one

2. Funding Strategy & Form 709 Reporting

How a SLAT Trust is funded determines whether it survives IRS scrutiny. We coordinate the entire funding process, from asset valuation to gift tax reporting, ensuring every transfer is properly documented.

Asset selection and funding timing coordinated with exemption strategy
Independent valuations for gifted business interests, real property, or closely held stock
Form 709 gift tax return preparation with adequate disclosure
Holding period tracking and documentation for gifted equity

3. Trustee & Governance

A SLAT without governance discipline creates fiduciary risk and potential estate inclusion. We handle trustee selection, family governance documentation, and the beneficiary protections that keep the structure on track across decades.

4. Ongoing Administration

Slat Estate Planning is a multi-decade commitment. We provide the annual trust accountings, fiduciary income tax returns, and structure reviews that keep your SLAT Trust defensible and current with the law long after the initial drafting.

What Every SLAT Strategy Must Get Right

SLAT Planning is powerful precisely because it is irrevocable. That same quality makes the following non-negotiable.

Reciprocal trust doctrine — if both spouses create SLATs for each other with substantially identical terms, the IRS can unwind both structures. Our drafting avoids this by differentiating trustee selection, distribution standards, and asset composition

Estate inclusion risk — certain retained interests or powers can pull SLAT Trust assets back into the grantor's estate. We conduct a retained-interest review on every structure before it is funded

Divorce and death — a SLAT ends its spousal benefit if the couple divorces or the beneficiary spouse dies. We include decanting and modification provisions where appropriate to address these scenarios

Adequate disclosure on Form 709 — proper gift reporting starts the statute of limitations running and is the difference between a defensible structure and an open audit question years later

These are the risks that distinguish a properly engineered SLAT Strategy from a document that merely looks correct on paper.

Who Our SLAT Planning Is Built For

Spousal Lifetime Access Trust Planning suits a specific kind of family those with significant appreciating assets and a clear window to act before exemption changes. Based in Ramsey, NJ, we work with qualifying families nationwide to design and coordinate these structures.

Married couples with estates exceeding the current exemption who want to reduce future estate tax whilst preserving spousal access

Pre-IPO founders moving low-basis shares into a SLAT Trust before a registration statement, locking in current valuation and removing future appreciation from the taxable estate

Business owners approaching a sale who want to shift ownership into a Spousal Lifetime Access Trust before a transaction closes

Families building a layered architecture of SLAT, GRAT, IDGT, and dynasty trust instruments and needing a Spousal Access Lifetime Trust Attorney to coordinate the full structure

We are candid about fit. A SLAT Trust requires accepting irrevocability, trustee independence, and the ongoing administration that a proper structure demands. Families who want the tax benefit without those disciplines are not the right of engagement.

The Crowne Point Difference

Why Choose Crowne Point Tax & Wealth Counsel?

SLAT Planning demands both legal precision and long-term stewardship. Crowne Point Tax & Wealth Counsel delivers both, under one coordinated team.

Dual-licensed Spousal Access Lifetime Trust Attorney and wealth adviser

Nik Agharkar integrates legal drafting with tax-saving strategy in every engagement

Specialist focus

Spousal Lifetime Access Trust Planning sits within a layered architecture that includes GRATs, IDGTs, and dynasty trusts, not a standalone document service

Governance-first approach

Reciprocal trust doctrine avoidance, retained-interest review, and adequate Form 709 disclosure are standard on every SLAT Strategy engagement

Generational commitment

We accept Slat Estate Planning engagements for the structure's full life, not just the initial filing

New Jersey licensed

Licensed to practice law in New Jersey, with a nationwide client base and counsel tailored to the applicable laws and requirements of each engagement.

We do not just draft a trust document. We build a SLAT Strategy designed to protect your family’s wealth for generations.

Methodology

Our Proven Process

Free Strategy Session

We review your estate, assets, and exemption window in a focused 30-minute consultation.

Architecture Blueprint

We position the SLAT Trust within your broader layered architecture of dynasty trusts, GRATs, and IDGTs.

Drafting & Funding

We draft the SLAT instrument, coordinate valuations, and manage the funding mechanics.

Form 709 Reporting

We prepare and file your gift tax return with adequate disclosure to start the statute of limitations running.

Long-Term Stewardship

We provide annual trust accountings, fiduciary returns, and structure reviews for decades to come.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does SLAT Planning reduce estate tax?

SLAT Planning removes gifted assets from the grantor’s taxable estate by using the lifetime gift tax exemption. Any future appreciation on those assets also escapes estate tax, compounding the long-term benefit for every year the SLAT Trust holds and grows.

What is the reciprocal trust doctrine and why does it matter?

The reciprocal trust doctrine allows the IRS to unwind two SLATs if both spouses create substantially identical trusts for each other. Proper SLAT Strategy differentiates trustee selection, distribution standards, and assets to avoid this risk.

What happens to the SLAT Trust if the beneficiary spouse dies?

If the beneficiary spouse dies, the spousal access to the Spousal Lifetime Access Trust ends. However, the assets remain outside the estate. Our Slat Estate Planning includes decanting and modification provisions where appropriate to address this scenario.

Can a SLAT hold pre-IPO or closely held business stock?

Yes. A SLAT Trust is well-suited to holding pre-IPO equity, closely held business interests, or other appreciating assets. This removes future appreciation from the taxable estate at current, lower valuations before a liquidity event.

Do I need a Spousal Access Lifetime Trust Attorney, or can my estate lawyer handle this?

SLAT Planning requires a Spousal Access Lifetime Trust Attorney who understands both the legal drafting and the tax consequences. A generalist estate lawyer may draft the document correctly but miss retained-interest risks, reciprocal trust issues, or Form 709 disclosure requirements.

Can SLAT Planning be combined with a GRAT or dynasty trust?

Yes. A SLAT Trust is frequently the spousal-access layer in a broader architecture that includes GRATs for short-term appreciation transfer and dynasty trusts for multi-generational protection. The combination is where the real estate tax leverage lives.

Ready to Lock In Your Exemption Before the Window Closes?

Schedule your free strategy session with Nik Agharkar and discover how a properly structured SLAT Trust can remove millions from your taxable estate whilst preserving your family’s access to wealth.