Family Law

• Divorce
• Guardianship
  John assists clients with the medical, legal and financial issues related to aging. Depending upon each client’s unique situation this assistance may include: Title XIX/Medicaid planning and qualification; establishment of guardianships, conservatorships, and directives for the disposition of one’s remains; drafting of Miller Trusts, living wills, medical and financial Powers of Attorney, as well as standby guardianship petitions.

Business and Corporate Law

• Mergers and Acquisitions
  We assist our clients in the formation, general operation and wind-up of various business entities including sole proprietorships, partnerships (general and limited), limited liability companies, non-profit organizations, and corporations. Organizing a business is an important decision and we assist owners in analyzing which entity is the most advantageous under the circumstances. Once selected, we prepare articles of incorporation, certificates of organization, bylaws, operating agreements and buy- sell agreements. Midlife, we help clients with minutes, mergers and acquisitions, and advise officers, boards, directors, members, partners and shareholders on a variety of issues including their rights and duties, taxation and litigation matters. We also provide assistance as a business ends.
• Business Disputes
  Kevin McCrindle is the principal attorney at McCrindle Law, having started the firm in 1977. Kevin’s practice focuses on estate planning, wills, trusts, and probate law, business law, and taxation. In addition, Kevin practices in the areas of real estate law and agricultural law.
• Limited Liability Companies
  We help our clients own and manage their real estate assets through the preparation of leases, lease terminations, options, easements, restrictive covenants, and other real estate-related documents. We utilize the formation of limited liability companies and other corporate entities to assist our clients in their real estate transactions. In addition, we assist our clients by minimizing the tax impact of transactions, as well as planning ahead for the tax implications of real estate transactions. Finally, our experienced litigator on staff is equipped to handle a variety of real estate litigation issues.

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
  At McCrindle Law we counsel clients in every aspect of estate planning. Our goal is to make comprehensive planning for the future an integral part of our clients’ lives. We assist clients develop an estate plan that reflects personal values and carries out their wishes in coordination with their financial plan. Our practice encompasses personal and business planning, integrating other areas such as taxation, business and real estate law, taking into consideration each client’s unique assets, whether farms, business, savings, investments, life insurance, or retirement plan distributions. We are pleased to work as part of our client’s multidisciplinary team to establish and document a practical long term estate plan.
• Real Estate Transactions
  Often in a real estate transaction a buyer’s best interest can be lost when working only with a lender’s attorney. To correct this issue, we represent our clients’ interests in the purchase and sale of residential, agricultural, and commercial properties including handling the negotiations and drafting of purchase and sale agreements, deeds, title opinions, options, easements, restrictive covenants, and other real estate-related documents. We also represent clients who list their properties for sale by owner.
• Easement
• Condominium Law
  Our firm has counseled individuals, families, and businesses in North Central Iowa for over 30 years. We also collaborate with other law firms both within and without Iowa, assisting these clients on specific issues ranging from condominium development to estate and trust issues.

Health Law

• Medicaid Planning
  We represent clients in several areas of elder law, including estate planning, benefits planning, Medicaid planning, and guardianships and conservatorships. In pursuit of these areas of law, we assist clients with the medical, legal and financial issues related to aging. Depending upon each client’s unique situation this assistance may include: Title XIX/Medicaid planning and qualification; establishment of guardianships, conservatorships, and directives for the disposition of one’s remains; drafting of Miller Trusts, living wills, medical and financial Powers of Attorney, as well as standby guardianship petitions. In planning for estates and planning for Medicaid, we integrate our knowledge of tax issues, real estate law, and federal and Iowa statutory law concerning elder support.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  We work closely with farm management companies and attorneys locally and in other states. In addition, we take referrals and, if appropriate, refer matters to other attorneys in specialized areas and work closely with those attorneys on client issues. We integrate estate planning, taxation, litigation, and real estate into our practice of agricultural law.
• Wills
  We assist clients administer regular or small estates and trusts, whether formally through the court system, or informally if applicable. Our services include litigation concerning estates and trusts, will contests, interpretation of trusts, disclaimers, and family negotiations, mediation arbitration and settlements. In addition, we offer tax counseling with the goal of minimizing estate tax liability, and advise clients on tax issues including estate taxes, gift taxes, generation-skipping taxes and marital deductions, as well as preparing fiduciary and estate tax returns.
• Trusts
  Henry has more than 25 years' experience working in and managing various bank trust departments in Iowa, and is a Past President of the Iowa Trust Association. This gives him a unique insight into the practical issues involved in the administration of decedents' estates, personal trusts, charitable trusts, conservatorships and investment agencies, both from the client's perspective and from that of the fiduciary.
• Power of Attorney
  In order to create effective plans for clients, we utilize a variety of techniques, including simple and complex wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts (which include life insurance trusts, grantor trusts, QTIP trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts “GRATS†, personal residence trusts, special needs trusts, Miller trusts, asset protection trusts, generation skipping trusts, perpetual trusts and charitable trusts), intra-family loans, gifting, joint tenancies, living wills, powers of attorney for health and financial purposes and standby guardianships and conservatorships. If necessary, we will create guardianships and conservatorships, and assist guardians and conservators in their duties.
• Probate
  John Harris is an associate at McCrindle Law, having joined the firm in 2001. John is engaged in the general practice of law which includes but is not limited to the following areas of practice: education law, elder law, estate planning, wills, trusts, probate law, and agricultural law.

Finance Law

• Tax Law
  John believes that estate planning is a life-affirming process and that each client’s plan should reflect their goals and values. After an interview process which results in an estate plan, John will draft the necessary documents in order to implement the client’s plan. These documents may consist of but are not limited to trust agreements, wills, philanthropic devices, and various other tax planning documents.