Muirhead, Gaylor, Steves, Waskom, LLP Clients Welcome to FarrLaw

After 30 plus years of dedicated service, W. E. “Chip” Gaylor III and Elsbeth “Beth” G. Waskom, partners at Muirhead Gaylor Steves & Waskom, P.A. (MGSW), merged their practice with FarrLaw, effective September 16, 2024.

Gaylor and Waskom believe that FarrLaw, known for its professional and compassionate service, will continue to uphold the high standards their clients have come to expect.

“We are thrilled to welcome Muirhead Gaylor Steves & Waskom, P.A. to the FarrLaw family,” said David A. Holmes, President of FarrLaw. “They are excellent attorneys with long established reputations in Venice and Sarasota and will make an excellent fit with our estate planning team. We are eager to continue delivering an exceptional level of support and expertise to the communities of Southwest Florida.”

William “Chip” E. Gaylor III and Elsbeth “Beth” G. Waskom are Of Counsel attorneys at FarrLaw.

FarrLaw, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, continues to be client-focused, community-centered and dedicated to excellence in the practice of law. Those areas of practice include estate planning and administration, as well as real estate, litigation, corporate and business law, personal injury, elder law, guardianship, asset protection, and defective drugs and medical device litigation.

Gaylor and Waskom will serve as Of Counsel to FarrLaw but will no longer meet with clients directly. They will continue to serve as Trustees and Personal Representatives where named in clients’ estate planning documents.

We welcome three of the MGSW staff who join the FarrLaw team supporting the Venice area:

• Janice Trippiedi, Probate Paralegal
• Kathy Vanderstel, Legal Assistant
• Peggy Leftault, Receptionist

FarrLaw will continue to operate from MGSW’s Venice and Sarasota offices. Attorneys Dorothy L. Korszen and Brady H. Sharrer will oversee client relationships in those locations with the support of associate attorney Nicole S. Peet.

Additionally, trust and estate attorneys Guy S. Emerich, Forrest J. Bass, and Brett H. Sifrit practice in Punta Gorda with availability in the Venice offices as needed.

Federal Estate Tax Update

There will be a change in the federal estate tax effective January 1, 2026. Currently, estates less than $13,610,000 are exempt from federal estate tax. The current law “sunsets” on December 31, 2025, after which the federal estate tax exemption is expected to be approximately $7,000,000 per person. This is the time for those with large estates to review their estate plan.

If you would like to meet with one of the FarrLaw trust and estate attorneys, please call the Venice office at 941-484-1996 to schedule a 15-minute complementary meeting. We look forward to meeting with you.