Firm Overview
Nationally Recognized Trusts & Estates Counsel for Holders of Substantial Wealth in Florida, Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, and Georgia
Kirkland Hochstetler PLLC is a boutique trusts and estates law firm dedicated to serving high-net-worth individuals, multigenerational families, family offices, private trust companies, fiduciaries, and professional advisors throughout the southeastern and midwestern United States. With offices in Naples, Florida, and additional offices in Canton, Ohio, and Kansas City, Missouri, the firm also represents clients in Georgia, Kansas, and across state lines where complex wealth planning requires coordinated counsel.
The firm was founded by Robert (“Bob”) Kirkland and Matthew (“Matt”) Hochstetler, both Fellows of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). They met each other through their involvement in ACTEC—an organization widely regarded as the premier professional association for trust and estate lawyers in the United States—and ultimately decided to form a trusts and estates law firm grounded in technical excellence, professional integrity, and sophisticated private wealth strategy.
Kirkland Hochstetler PLLC was built to provide high-level estate planning, trust administration, probate representation, fiduciary counsel, dispute mediation, and family trust company formation for clients whose assets, business interests, and family dynamics demand more than routine planning.
A Practice Focused on Complex Wealth
The firm’s practice extends well beyond the preparation of wills and revocable trusts. Clients often present with substantial operating businesses, closely held entities, investment partnerships, commercial real estate portfolios, and generational wealth structures that require advanced planning and precise implementation.
Kirkland Hochstetler PLLC provides counsel in:
- Advanced estate and gift tax minimization strategies
- Multigenerational wealth transfer planning
- Probate avoidance structures and trust design
- Business succession planning for family enterprises and closely held companies
- Asset protection planning for high-liability individuals and business owners
- Charitable planning, including private foundations and donor-advised funds
- Florida Family Trust Company formation and governance
- Trust and estate administration for fiduciaries
- Mediation of trust and estate disputes
The firm routinely collaborates with wealth managers, financial planners, CPAs, insurance advisors, and outside counsel to ensure that legal structures align with tax modeling, investment strategy, liquidity planning, and long-term family governance objectives.
What Is ACTEC?
The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel is a national, peer-elected organization of trust and estate lawyers who have demonstrated the highest level of competence, experience, and professional reputation in their field. Founded in 1949, ACTEC serves as a thought leader in estate planning, trust administration, and fiduciary law. Its Fellows frequently contribute to the development of legislation, participate in continuing legal education at an advanced level, and provide technical guidance on emerging issues in tax and trust law.
Membership in ACTEC is by invitation only. Attorneys are nominated by existing Fellows and must undergo a rigorous vetting process that evaluates their professional experience, technical proficiency, ethical standards, and contributions to the trusts and estates bar. Election as a Fellow is widely recognized as one of the most meaningful distinctions available to a trusts and estates attorney.
ACTEC Fellows are expected to demonstrate substantial involvement in complex estate planning and fiduciary matters. Many are authors, lecturers, and leaders within state and national bar associations. The organization emphasizes collegiality, scholarship, and public service, fostering collaboration among lawyers who advise families with significant wealth and intricate planning needs.
A Firm Founded on Shared Professional Values
Bob and Matt’s professional relationship began within ACTEC, where collaboration, continuing education, and peer engagement are central to the organization’s mission. Through their shared commitment to technical excellence and thoughtful client service, they recognized a mutual vision: to build a firm focused exclusively on sophisticated trusts and estates work, without dilution into unrelated practice areas.
Kirkland Hochstetler PLLC reflects that vision. The firm’s practice is intentionally concentrated. By limiting its scope to estate planning, trust and estate administration, fiduciary counsel, family trust company formation, and related dispute mediation, the firm maintains depth rather than breadth. This allows for highly informed advice in matters that frequently involve eight- and nine-figure estates, closely held industrial operations, real estate investment entities, and complex family governance structures.
Multistate Reach with Coordinated Strategy
With offices in Florida, Ohio, and Missouri, and active representation in Georgia and Kansas, as well, the firm advises clients whose residences, businesses, and investment holdings span multiple jurisdictions. Each state presents distinct probate statutes, trust codes, creditor protection laws, and tax considerations.
Florida, for example, offers robust homestead protections and a well-developed body of trust law. Ohio and Missouri present unique opportunities and challenges for business succession and real estate planning. Georgia’s trust statutes and probate procedures likewise require careful coordination when families maintain property or fiduciary appointments there.
Kirkland Hochstetler PLLC develops integrated strategies that account for these differences, minimizing administrative friction and reducing unintended tax exposure.
Counsel for Fiduciaries and Family Offices
In addition to advising individuals and families, the firm represents trustees, personal representatives, conservators, private trust companies, and family offices. Fiduciaries face heightened duties of loyalty, prudence, impartiality, and transparency. Errors in administration can result in personal liability and protracted litigation.
The firm provides guidance on fiduciary governance, distribution standards, accounting requirements, trust modification strategies, and dispute resolution. For families seeking greater control and continuity, Kirkland Hochstetler PLLC assists in the formation and structuring of Florida Family Trust Companies and related family office entities.
This dual perspective—advising both wealth creators and fiduciary decision-makers—enhances the firm’s ability to design estate plans that function effectively in practice, not merely on paper.
Mediation and Dispute Resolution in Sensitive Matters
Trust and estate disputes often involve both significant financial stakes and complex interpersonal dynamics. As experienced mediators in trust and estate conflicts, Bob and Matt bring technical command of fiduciary and tax law to the negotiation process. This allows parties to evaluate risks realistically and explore resolution pathways that preserve estate value and family relationships.
In high-profile or high-asset cases, confidentiality and discretion are paramount. The firm’s focused practice and professional network enable it to manage such matters with care and precision.
Why Distinction Matters in High-Value Estate Planning
When selecting counsel for estate planning or fiduciary matters involving substantial wealth, experience and peer recognition are critical considerations. Estate and gift tax exposure can reach into the millions of dollars. Improper administration can trigger litigation, surcharge claims, or regulatory scrutiny. Business succession missteps can destabilize multigenerational enterprises.
The election of both founders as Fellows of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel signals a level of expertise and professional respect that aligns with the expectations of sophisticated families and advisors.
Contact Kirkland Hochstetler Today
Kirkland Hochstetler PLLC stands at the intersection of advanced tax planning, fiduciary governance, and multistate estate administration. Clients seeking thoughtful, technically rigorous counsel for valuable estates, complex trust structures, or family governance planning are invited to contact the firm to begin a confidential discussion about their objectives.