In my trust and estate practice, I always consider my client’s needs and desires, while conducting an integrated analysis of their assets, cash flow and tax liability. Then, in partnership with my clients, I develop and implement strategies to most effectively and efficiently transfer their wealth as they desire, while reducing estate taxes. I make it a point to instill confidence and trust in my clients, who count on me to perform this important and sensitive service.
As a member of the firm’s tax team, Courtney Miller focuses on estate and gift planning and succession law and also provides counsel in corporate, matrimonial and charitable transactions and matters. Courtney advises clients in both large and small successions and represents heirs in successions that are adversarial.
Helping clients plan their estates, Courtney works on wills, powers of attorney and various types of trusts, including “Special Needs Trusts” for individuals with disabilities fearing loss of government benefits. She also guides clients in charitable giving, drafts marriage contracts and negotiates community property settlements. She has extensive experience preparing gift and estate tax returns for filing with the Internal Revenue Service.
Courtney has assisted clients with corporate transactions, particularly conducting due diligence, analyzing tax issues and structuring of the transaction, preparing transactional documents and working with the accountant to prepare tax returns to accurately report the transaction.
Additionally, she has experience working with the US Department of Maritime Administration (MARAD) on Ship Financing, and their Capital Construction Fund and Construction Reserve Fund programs. She has helped clients in the application to MARAD, administering the funds and accounting to MARAD for their use.
A member of the Board of Directors of Xplore Federal Credit Union and of the School Board of St. Francis Xavier School, Courtney is also a member of the New Orleans Estate Planning Council and Association of Women Attorneys.
“ I have developed a significant amount of experience in a short amount of time by creating a niche. Many general practitioners dabble in successions and estate planning, but because these areas are the bulk of my practice, I know how to best serve my clients. ”
Education
Bar Admissions
Areas of Practice
Acknowledgements
- "Women of the Year," New Orleans CityBusiness, 2015
- Leadership Jefferson, Class of 2014
Professional Affiliations & Memberships
- American Bar Association
- Association for Women Attorneys
- Louisiana State Bar Association
- New Orleans Bar Association - Former Co-Chair of Wills, Trusts, and Successions Committee, 2021
- New Orleans Estate Planning Council
- Xplore Federal Credit Union, Board of Directors
- Young Leadership Council
- The Cornerstone Council, Greater New Orleans Foundation
- St. Francis Xavier School, School Board
Related Knowledge
News
- "Louisiana Supreme Court Holds That There is No Substitute for a Signature When Probating a Lost Notarial Testament", co-author with Taylor Brett, New Orleans Bar Association Blog, 2023
Presentations
- In Terrorem: When and How to Instill Fear in Estate Planning, New Orleans Bar Association Wills, Trusts & Successions Committee CLE, October 2024