Everything You Need to Know About Beneficiary Designations
There’s a good chance that your estate plan includes a revocable trust — sometimes known as a “living trust.” This type of trust can help your estate avoid probate, guard your privacy and provide protection in the event...more
Most US homeowners and business owners understand the importance of an estate plan; they just never seem to get around to completing the task. What do you need to know about a trust? Why are trusts a central component of any...more
There are a number of considerations to make when deciding whether to proceed with a Will-based estate plan or a trust-based estate plan. First, as a general matter, there are two ways in which your estate can be distributed...more
One of the most common questions we hear from our clients is “do I need a revocable living trust?” While in some states a revocable living trust is a vital component of any estate plan due to those state’s probate laws,...more
I am often asked about the difference between wills and revocable trusts, so I thought it important to explain the purpose of each. Wills and revocable trusts basically do the same thing – each is a document in which you...more
Retitling your assets to conform with your desired plan is essential to successful estate planning. Whether this means changing ownership of an asset altogether, adding a joint owner, or changing a beneficiary designation,...more
On December 22, 2022, the Michigan Court of Appeals issued a fascinating opinion which dealt with protection of the rights of a charitable beneficiary under the decedent’s trust. Estate of Evelyn R Ragsdale v. Bishop, Docket...more
Losing a family member or friend is a difficult situation for everyone. In 1969, the Swiss-American psychiatrist Elizabeth Kübler-Ross wrote in her book “On Death and Dying,” that grief could be divided into five stages:...more
In the next webinar in our Estate Planning 101 series, wealth preservation attorney Whitney Patience O’Reilly will discuss the basics of trusts. She will review the differences between revocable and irrevocable trusts and...more
In the most recent installment of the McGuireWoods Fiduciary Advisory Services annual multipart series on recent fiduciary cases, developments in the law concerning various topics are examined through the following: - ...more
I’m writing this in Wilmington, North Carolina at a time when many in this area still are struggling after Hurricane Florence. The weekend before the storm was bright and sunny. I would have rather gone to the beach, but...more
Wills and revocable trusts basically do the same thing – each is a document in which you give away your assets to your beneficiaries upon your death. Both can be revoked and changed whenever and as often as you desire. In...more
A Revocable Trust (sometimes known as a Revocable Living Trust or Inter Vivos Trust) is an arrangement established by a person (the “Settlor” or “Grantor”) to direct how his or her assets are to be managed during life and...more
While most decisions rendered by the Surrogate’s Court result from an affirmative request for relief, occasionally the court will address an issue on its own motion when justice or the exercise of its inherent or statutory...more
In re Estate of House, 2014 Wash. App. LEXIS 3006 (Wash. Ct. App. 2014) - A release waiving any and all claims that the parties may have or may acquire, bars recovery for unknown claims existing at the time the release...more
What is a trust and how does it differ from a will? Before planning your California trust you should know three important things: 1. A Trust Defined - A trust provides for the allocation of assets when you...more
In your experience, what’s the most costly mistake people make when preparing estate plans, and what can they do to fix them? That’s the question we recently put to attorneys writing on JD Supra....more
With the introduction of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (Act), the world of estate planning has been injected with a dose of certainty after more than 10 years of uncertainty as to federal estate, gift and...more