Tara N. Halbert

Of Counsel

Tara Halbert, of counsel in Dickinson Wright’s Lexington office, focuses her practice in the area of estate and wealth transfer planning. She counsels her clients, which include high net worth individuals, married and unmarried couples, multi-generational families, personal representatives, trustees, and beneficiaries on a variety of matters including the preparation of wills, trusts and disability documents, as well as probate and trust administration and lifetime gifting.

Tara’s clients benefit from the customized estate plans she designs, aimed at helping clients achieve their long-term goals. She works closely with her clients and their advisors to provide strategies focused on tax savings and estate tax avoidance, educational planning for children, charitable giving, intergenerational wealth transfers, estate administration, and more. Tara’s outstanding work in Trusts and Estates was recognized by Best Lawyers in America, as she was named to their “Ones to Watch” list in 2022.

Education & Credentials

Education

University of Florida

LL.M., Taxation, 2012
  • Florida Tax Review, Graduate Student Editor

University of Kentucky College of Law

J.D., 2011
  • cum laude
  • CALI Award, Law and Economics
  • Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Law, Staff Member

Georgetown College

B.A., Mathematics, 2008
  • magna cum laude

Bar Admission

  • Kentucky

Acknowledgements

  • Chambers High Net Worth
    • "Top Ranked," Private Wealth Law, 2023
    • "Leaders in their Fields," 2024
  • Best Lawyers in America®
    • "Ones to Watch," Trusts and Estates, 2022, 2024-2025

Representative Clients

  • Individuals, couples and unmarried couples
  • Multi-generational families
  • Trustees and Personal Representatives

Prominent Assignments

  • Prepare customized estate plans for married couples, unmarried couples and individuals
  • Represent personal representatives, trustees and beneficiaries in probate and trust administration

Professional Involvement

  • Member, Bluegrass Estate Planning Council
  • Kentucky Bar Association
  • Fayette County Bar Association

Publications/Presentations

  • Author, "IRS Grants Relief for 2020 RMDS," Dickinson Wright Legal Edge Blog, August 2020 
  • Author, "Automatic Allocation of GST Tax Exemption," Dickinson Wright Legal Edge Blog, June 24, 2019 
  • Author, "2018 Gift Tax Returns," Dickinson Wright Legal Edge Blog, March 4, 2019 
  • Author, "Trusts that Qualify for the Gift and GST Tax Annual Exclusions," Dickinson Wright Tax Blog, July 2, 2018 
  • Author, "IRS issues Rev. Proc. 2017-34 to Extend Time to Make Portability Election," Dickinson Wright Tax Blog, July 3, 2017
  • Author, "Graegin Loans for Estates," Dickinson Wright Tax Blog, June 27, 2016
  • Author, "Minimize Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Exposure," Dickinson Wright Tax Blog, December 27, 2015
  • Antitrust Liability and the Horse Racing Industry, 2 KY. J. EQUINE, AGRI., & NAT. RESOURCES L. 271 (2010)
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