Max S.J. Shilleto

Max’s practice focuses on estate planning, wealth preservation, and business succession. He works with individuals, families, and business owners to design and implement strategies that protect assets, address complex family dynamics, and facilitate the smooth transfer of wealth across generations. He is particularly skilled at navigating the intersection of personal and corporate planning to support long-term family and business continuity.

With deep experience in estate planning, Max assists clients with everything from straightforward wills to highly customized, multi-generational estate planning structures. He regularly implements strategies to mitigate probate fees, minimize exposure to wills variation claims, and support tax-efficient transitions. He has particular expertise in incapacity planning and in advising on the succession of complex estates involving blended families, corporate assets, or private foundations.

Max works with owner-managed businesses and family enterprises on succession planning and reorganization strategies. His work includes estate freezes, share restructurings, and the use of trusts and holding companies to facilitate intergenerational transfers. He regularly works alongside tax and accounting advisors to ensure that corporate structures are aligned with the family’s long-term goals and values.

He also has a special focus on advising families who have a loved one with a disability. With deep respect for dignity, autonomy, and inclusion, Max collaborates with individuals with disabilities, their families, and support networks to design legal plans that protect their futures and reflect what matters most to them.

Max’s estate administration work includes advising executors, administrators, and trustees on probate applications, asset management, debt settlement, and coordination with the Public Guardian and Trustee.