Philip C. Hunt

ABOUT Phil

A 1975 graduate of the Harvard Law School, Phil Hunt is a shareholder of Perkins Thompson, having joined the firm on a full-time basis in 1980 following the completion of his military service with the United States Air Force. Mr. Hunt’s principal areas of practice are in estate planning and probate administration, elder law, federal and state tax law, and business transactions planning for small businesses, including sales and purchases of businesses and commercial properties.

Mr. Hunt has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© since 1999 and for inclusion in New England Super Lawyers (2010-2014), in the fields of Estate Planning & Probate. He is AV Peer Review Rated for Ethical Standards and Legal Ability by Martindale-Hubbell.

ARTICLES

• Year End Tax Planning Suggestions for Individuals for 2018
• Year-End Tax Planning Reminders
• 2016 End of Year Tax Planning Ideas
• New Procedure for Obtaining a Waiver of the 60 Day Rollover Deadline for Retirement Account
• Proposed New Limits on Family Business Planning Opportunities
• Tax Advice for Victims of Identity Theft
• Tax Filing Tips under the Affordable Care Act
• Hardship Exemption under the Affordable Care Act
• IRA, Retirement Savings Rules for 2014
• Individual Deduction Planning for 2014
• Planning for Tax Reporting Under the Affordable Care Act
• Same-sex married couples treated as married for federal tax purposes: refunds apply
• Defense of Marriage Act Unconstitutional
• New Maine “Use Tax” Amnesty Program
• Avoiding Probate
• The Uncertain Future of the Estate and Gift Tax in 2012
• The “CLASS” Act and Planning for Home and Community Assisted-living Care
• Basic Estate Planning: A Check List For You and Your Attorney
• Maine Estate Tax Reform
• The New Estate Tax Legislation
• Taking a Third of Your Spouse’s Estate
• The History of Marital Rights to the Spouse’s Estate
• Intestacy: What Happens in Maine if You Don’t Have a Will
• Making a Will in Maine
• End-of-life Decision Planning
• Durable Powers of Attorney in Maine
• Welcome to my Maine Estate Planning and Elder Law Blog, beginning July 1, 2010
• Eight Steps for a Personal Representative to Probate a Will and Settle an Estate in Maine
• COVID-19: A Time to Plan
• Tapping Your IRA or 401(k) Plan to Weather the Coronavirus

Publications / Seminars

• Blog, Maine Taxes, Wills & Estate Planning
• A Practical Guide to Estate Planning in Maine (2012)
• Presenter, Seminar on Advanced Probate (2008)
• Adjunct Faculty Professor, Estate Planning at the University of Maine School of Law (2007 – 2019)
• Author, Maine Probate Law
• Co-Author of Maine Probate Procedure
• Author, Maine Code Comments for Part IV of the Uniform Trust Code
• Presenter, Seminar on Counseling the Elder Client (2006)
• Presenter, Seminar on Probate Administration (2005)
• Presenter, Seminar on Partnership and LLC Taxation (2007)
• Presenter, Seminar on Estate Planning and Administration (2006)
• Presenter, Seminar on the Uniform Trust Code for the Maine Bar Association (2005)
• Presenter of various programs on Charitable Giving, Advanced Estate Planning, Medicaid Planning and Elder Law

Membership

• Fellow, American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel
• Past Chair, Uniform Trust Code Sub-Committee of Maine State Bar Association
• Fellow, Maine Bar Foundation

Service / Achievements

Mr. Hunt has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Maine Law School teaching the subject of Estate Planning (2007 – Present). He is currently serving on a Maine State Bar Association Committee to update the Maine Probate Code.

Mr. Hunt has given 20 years of service to the Town of Cumberland, including 12 years membership and chairmanship of the Cumberland Planning Board; member of the Board of Zoning Appeals, the School Building Committee, the School Facilities and Enrollment Committee, and the Growth Management Committee.

Mr. Hunt has negotiated settlement of many tax collection cases with the IRS for the VLP Tax Assistance Project.

In 2008, Mr. Hunt received a Volunteer Service Award from the Maine Board of Bar Overseers for service as an expert witness before the Grievance Commission and the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

Mr. Hunt is a member of the Maine Medical Center Planned Giving Committee and has been actively involved with the North Yarmouth Lions Club (King Lion 2004, Secretary 2000-2003 and 2005-2010, Organizer, Enterprise Development Fund to award micro-capital grants to young people interested in starting a business, Scholarship Fund to award scholarships to college students).