Matthew F. Hafen
Shareholder
Estate Planning
Asset Protection
Probate & Trust Administration
Real Estate
Start-up & Early Stage Companies
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Location: St. George
Main: 435.674.0400
Direct: 435.986.7608
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BIOGRAPHY
Matthew F. Hafen assists clients throughout the western United States and internationally on a variety of complex trust, estate, and business matters including the development and implementation of estate plans, wealth-transfer strategies, business-succession plans, gift plans for families for effective gift and estate tax planning, and the formation, governance, and sale of business entities. Mr. Hafen offers practical advice to families and business owners to help each of his clients ensure that their vision for the future is achieved. Mr. Hafen is a DJP Shareholder and a member of the firm’s Estate Planning, Tax, and Business and Finance sections.
Mr. Hafen’s practice includes advice regarding sophisticated tax, estate, asset protection, and business planning strategies, including the preparation of documents such as wills, living trusts, durable powers of attorney, healthcare directives, asset protection trusts, foreign trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, gift programs, grantor retained annuity trusts, education trusts, family limited partnerships and limited liability companies, generation-skipping transfers, charitable giving, charitable remainder trusts, private foundations, property agreements, and prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.
In addition, Mr. Hafen is experienced in assisting families through the legal process of guardianships, conservatorships, probate and trust administration, resolving complex estate administration and probate disputes, and transition planning for families with closely held businesses and real property holdings.
Mr. Hafen also maintains an active practice in the firm’s Business and Finance Section, where he counsels clients on the formation and governance of business entities such as limited liability companies, S-corporations, and non-profit entities. His business practice includes experience in advising clients regarding the purchase and sale of businesses, as well as successfully resolving contract disputes and disputes between business partners.
- “With End-of-Year Gifts, Stay Out of the IRS’ Doghouse”, UtahBusiness.com (December 22, 2016)
- Keeping Up with the Legislature – Estate Planning Implications of Recent Utah Legislation, present to the Southern Utah Estate Planning Council (September 2018)
- Tips for Avoiding Family Estate Conflicts, presented to Sun City, Mesquite residents (July 2018)
- Fully Using Tax Advantages of LLCs, presented in NBI seminar (May 2018)
- Avoiding Probate with a Living Trust, presented to Sun City, Mesquite residents (April 2018)
- Administering the Estate: The Collision between Estate Planning and Real Property Law – A Cautionary Tale, presented at the Spring Utah State Bar Convention (March 2018)
- Planning Ahead: The Benefits and Options for Healthcare Directives and Powers of Attorney, presented to Sun River, St. George residents (March 2018)
- Avoiding Probate with a Living Trust, presented to Sun River, St. George residents (February 2018)
- Strategies for Avoiding Family Estate Conflicts, presented at Dixie State University Retirement University (January 2018)
- Innovative Strategies for Tax Basis Maximization, presented to the Southern Utah Estate Planning Council (November 2017)
- The New Normal – Practical Thoughts on Planning After the Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, presented at NBI estate planning seminar (June 2017)
- Pitfalls in Estate Planning and Asset Protection, radio presentation on local Fox News Radio station (January 2017)
- Adding Value for Clients by Weaving Asset Protection into Estate Planning, presented to the Southern Utah Estate Planning Council (October 2016)
- Estate Planning with Portability and Asset Protection Trusts, presented to the Soltis 9th Annual Client Appreciation and Wealth Management Conference (September 2015)
- The New Normal: Some Practical Thoughts on Estate Planning After the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, presented to the Southern Utah Estate Planning Council (April 2015)
- Winning at Non-compete Agreements: Tips for Drafters and Litigators, presented to the Southern Utah Bar Association 12th Annual All-Day CLE (December 2014)
- Planning Strategies for Buy-Sell Agreements, presented to the Southern Utah Estate Planning Council (January 2014)
- Estate and Asset Protection Planning Concepts for Business Attorneys, presented to the DJP
- Business and Finance Section (May 2013)
- Estate Planning Law Update, presented to the Utah Association of CPAs, Southern Utah Chapter (May 2011)
- Panel participant regarding Estate Tax Law Updates, presented to the Southern Utah Estate
- Planning Council (March 2011)
- Considerations for Buy-Sell Agreements, presented to the DJP Corporate and Securities Section (February 2011)
- Asset Protection Planning, presented to DJP Estate Planning Section (November 2010)
- Member of the Dixie State University Planned Giving Advisory Council (2015 – Present)
- Member of the Dixie Regional Medical Center Planned Giving Advisory Council (2015 – Present)
- Member of the Board of Directors of the Southern Utah Estate Planning Council (January 2014 – Present)
- Member of the Board of Directors of George Washington Academy (2011 – Present)
- Participant in an Ad Hoc Committee on Legislation of the Estate Planning and Elder Law Sections of the Utah State Bar regarding revisions to Utah’s asset protection trust laws (2013)
- Admitted to Utah State Bar (2009), Nevada State Bar (2010), Arizona State Bar (2011) and State Bar of California (2011)
- Former Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School – J.D., cum laude (2009)
- Senior Editor, BYU Law Review
Southern Utah University – Masters of Accountancy
Arizona
California
Nevada
Utah
- Portuguese