Professional Background for Jeffrey Skatoff
Experience
Mr. Skatoff has practiced exclusively in the areas of probate, estate litigation, trust litigation, guardianship litigation, estate planning, real estate and taxation, for over 30 years.
In the estate planning area, Mr. Skatoff has prepared estate plans of all complexities, for young families with minor children, to owners of large, complex, multistate businesses, including those with international aspects.
In the Florida probate administration area, Mr. Skatoff has handled over 1,000 probate administrations, from simple estates to very large and complex taxable estates, often with assets throughout the globe.
Mr. Skatoff has also represented personal representatives and beneficiaries in probate litigation and trust litigation. Some of these litigated areas include will contests, trust construction and reformation, elective share litigation, creditor claims against estates, and estate tax apportionment cases.
Mr. Skatoff has been AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell for over 15 years.
- United States Department of Justice, Tax Division. (1991 – 1995). Mr. Skatoff started his career in 1991 as a trial attorney in the Honors Program of the Tax Division at the Department of Justice, in Washington DC. Mr. Skatoff litigated complex tax cases across the country on behalf of the federal government. In 1993, Mr. Skatoff was awarded the Outstanding Attorney Award, for superior performance. Mr. Skatoff was promoted to senior trial attorney in record time for a trial attorney in the Honors Program, as a result of a special dispensation by the Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division, Shirley D. Peterson.
- Private Practice. (1995 – 2005). Mr. Skatoff left government service in 1995 and spent time at several large law firms in Washington, DC, practicing in the areas of estate planning, taxation, tax litigation, and probate. Mr. Skatoff also worked during that time for Wells Fargo, where he developed estate plans and business succession plans for large family owned businesses on the East Coast. Mr. Skatoff also worked for a large multi family real estate developer in Palm Beach County, handling tax and regulatory issues.
- Clark Skatoff, PA. (2006 – Present). Mr. Skatoff founded the law firm of Clark Skatoff PA in 2006. At its peak, the firm had 14 employees working for Mr. Skatoff, including five practicing attorneys. The firm’s attorneys practiced exclusively in the areas of estate planning, probate administration, probate and trust litigation, taxation, and guardianship litigation. Mr. Skatoff handled cases throughout the State of Florida, at the trial and appellate level, and also tried cases in California and Maryland.
- Probate Stars. (2020 – Present). Mr. Skatoff is the publisher and principal author of probatestars.com, the largest collection of probate and estate planning information on the web.
Education
- Duke University, BA (Chemistry), 1988.
- Washington University School of Law, JD, 1991. Associate Editor, Washington University Law Quarterly. Order of Coif (Top 10% + Faculty Approval). American Jurisprudence Award.
- Georgetown University, LLM (Taxation), 1996. Graduated With Distinction (Top 10%).
Reported Cases
Boren v. Rogers, 243 So.3d 448 (5th DCA 2018)
Cook v. Cook, (4th DCA 2018)
Woodward v. Woodward, 204 So.3d 582 (4th DCA 2016)
Weiser v. Weiser, 137 So.3d 545 (4th DCA 2014)
Mariani v. Mariani, 125 So.3d 222 (4th DCA 2013)
MacIntyre v. Wedell, 12 So.3d 273 (4th DCA 2009)
IU International v. United States, 77 AFTR 2d 96-696 (34 Fed Cl 767)
Gump v. United States, 76 AFTR 2d 95-8112
Clayton v. United States, 76 AFTR 2d 95-5197 (33 Fed Cl 628)
Harris v. United States , 75 AFTR 2d 95-2228 (33 Fed Cl 470)
Fisher v. United States, 71 AFTR 2d 93-2184 (28 Fed. Cl. 88)
Media Appearances
Mr. Skatoff has been an on-air legal commentator on the topics of probate litigation and estate planning, as well as a commentator in print and web media.
- Mr. Skatoff appeared on CNN’s Nancy Grace program about two dozen times on probate and guardianship issues.
- Mr. Skatoff has been quoted in Kiplinger’s on the issue of power of attorney abuse.
- Mr. Skatoff has appeared on WPBF, Channel 25 on the issue of what happens to your bills when you die. See Related Article.
- Mr. Skatoff has been quoted in the Northern Trust Magazine on Wealth Transfer Fundamentals.
- Mr. Skatoff has been quoted in the Palm Beach Post on tax issues surrounding the sale of the Miami Dolphins.
- Mr. Skatoff has also been quoted in the Wall Street Journal on Estate Planning for Second Marriages.
Jeffrey Skatoff and his family
