Jacqueline L. Messler

Jackie’s clients appreciate her ability to explain sophisticated concepts during times that are often stressful. It’s her patience and attention to detail that are most notable when working with clients in estate and business succession planning, marital property agreements, pre and post-nuptial agreements, guardianships, probate, and trust administration.

As a partner in the firm’s Trust, Estates and Succession Planning Service Group, Jackie regularly advises clients, particularly high net worth individuals, on all aspects of estate planning, including wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney, irrevocable life insurance trusts, and generation-skipping transfer trusts. She brings a breadth of experience to negotiating settlement agreements in a contentious administration which allow for efficient estate settlements.  

Jackie has extensive experience in advising clients in probate and trust administration after the death of a loved one. She also assists clients in special needs planning, including creating trusts under WisPact and Life Navigators. As an animal lover herself, Jackie also advises clients on the best way to take care of pets after an owner’s incapacity or death, including drafting pet trusts.

Jackie also counsels business owners in ongoing business operations and succession planning. This includes the preparation of organizational documents, including the Articles of Incorporation and Operating Agreement, buy-sell and transfer restriction agreements, the negotiation and preparation of various other corporate agreements, as well as legal services related to ongoing business operations, and the documents necessary to ensure the successful transition of the ownership and management of the businesses.

Additionally, Jackie also advises clients on pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, including provisions relating to keeping individual property (including business interests), maintenance, provisions for divorce, and provisions for death. She also has experience representing clients petitioning for a guardianship, including petitioning for guardianship over a minor child, petitioning for guardianship for a disabled child turning 18, and petitioning for guardianship over an incompetent adult.