John Wick - What You Need To Know about the Corporate Transparency Act
Once Removed Episode 24: Expressing Goals and Intent for the Trust
Once Removed Episode 22: Building Flexibility into the Estate Plan
Once Removed Episode 20: Helping a Beneficiary Purchase a Home
Once Removed Episode 19: The Step-Transaction Doctrine and the Case of Smaldino
Next Generation Legacy Management - The Essence of Developing, Managing and Implementing a Plan for Future Generations
A Primer On Trusts - A Podcast with Janathan Allen
Once Removed Episode 13: It’s 5 o’Clock: Do You Know Where Your Will Is? A Lesson From Aretha Franklin
Charitable Bequests With Guest Stephanie Hood
Once Removed Episode 12: SLATs and the Case of McKim vs. McKim
Once Removed Episode 11: Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts, or SLATs
Digital Planning Podcast Episode: Family Office Technology Solutions
Digital Planning Podcast Episode: The Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act
What is a self-proving affidavit?
The Importance of Beneficiary Designations
Basics of Estate Planning
The Case of the Disappearing Trust
Protecting Your Estate Plan from Challenges: No-Contest Clause Explained
The Secret Child
Welcome to 'Splitting Heirs'
The TCJA doubled the lifetime exclusion and GST tax exemption. This exclusion amount, adjusted for inflation, is now $13.61 million and is expected to be approximately $13.99 million in 2025. However, in 2026, the amount will...more
Welcome to The Verdict: Estate Planning Through Film. In episode two, host Hons Yung is joined by Farella Braun + Martel's Greg LeSaint to discuss the movie John Wick and the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). Greg breaks...more
The year 2017, when the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law, seems like a long time ago. As you may be aware, many of the tax provisions of that law are set to expire in a relatively short amount of time — on January 1,...more
Maryland’s Supreme Court declined to overturn the strict privity rule in legal malpractice cases. The rule, which generally bars third parties from suing lawyers, was a key issue in the recent Bennett v. Gentile decision. ...more
Today’s federal estate and gift tax laws may be remembered as the most generous to wealthy families since the Great Depression. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) doubled the federal estate, gift, and generation skipping...more
On August 28, 2024, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) issued its “Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for Residential Real Estate Transfers” (the “Final Rule”), to become effective December 1, 2025. This Final...more
Superior Court of Delaware, New Castle - In the asbestos action Burhenn v. Celotex Asbestos Settlement Trust, the court granted defendant Celotex’s motion to dismiss on the grounds that the complaint was untimely filed. In...more
Earlier this year, the California Supreme Court ruled that a trust amendment can be valid even if the trustor did not follow the specific amendment procedure referenced in the trust document itself because the trustor (trust...more
A main goal in bankruptcy is to get in and out as quickly as possible to minimize costs. It is often the case that even though a substantial portion of a debtor’s assets have been liquidated in bankruptcy, some valuable...more
Recently, Michigan added a new section to the trust code, making it possible for trust settlors to create “quiet” or “silent” trusts in Michigan. As the name implies, in a silent trust arrangement, a trustee is not required...more
In Crossley v. Crossley, a plaintiff, who was the beneficiary of, or had the power to designate the beneficiary, in two trusts established by his mother, and he filed suit requesting that the court determine whether he or his...more
Dear Jonathan: My mother, who recently passed away, prepared a trust naming me as her sole beneficiary. She intentionally disinherited my brother due to a falling out they had years ago. Although he knows that he has been...more
As an attorney and mediator who specializes in professional liability cases and issues affecting lawyers and their firms, I’ve learned that while the fact patterns and circumstances of every case are different, even the best...more
The Perpetuities (Amendment) Act, 2024 (the “Act”) has taken effect in the Cayman Islands, providing for the disapplication of the rule against perpetuities for Cayman Islands ordinary trusts. This legislative development...more
Thoughtful planning and careful implementation are essential to a successful estate plan that preserves wealth in the most tax-efficient manner and fulfills a family’s personal objectives....more
The September 2024 Section 7520 rate for use with estate planning techniques such as CRTs, CLTs, QPRTs and GRATs is 4.8%, a decrease from the August 2024 rate of 5.2%. The September applicable federal rate (“AFR”) for use...more
When a loved one dies, the last thing you want to deal with is a lawsuit, or have your heirs inherit a lawsuit. After the death of a maternal or paternal figure that keeps the family together, tensions flare between siblings...more
The RSOG builds upon and clarifies existing market conduct standards for TCSPs and Company Managers where the underlying requirements are generally the same but with some differences. The RSOG implements market conduct...more
Recently, much has been written about Rupert Murdoch’s petition to amend his Nevada irrevocable trust to grant his eldest son, Lachlan, voting control over News Corp and Fox Corporation. While the battle between family...more
In In re Trust A & Trust C, a beneficiary sued a trustee for breach of fiduciary duty and sought a constructive trust over assets that were transferred out of the trust. 690 S.W.3d 80 (Tex. 2024)....more
In response to illicit finance risks identified in the U.S. residential real estate sector, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has announced the issuance of its long-anticipated...more
The Cayman Islands is in the process of implementing fundamental changes to its beneficial ownership regime. Most significantly, these include the removal of exemptions applicable under the previous regime, as well as more...more
Moving to another state? Revisit your estate plan - If you recently relocated to a new state — or you’re planning such a move — it’s a good idea to review and update your estate plan. You won’t have to throw out your...more
Non-Americans who wish to purchase U.S. real estate should be aware of the tax consequences of owning real estate here. George McCormick discusses these tax issues and steps to minimize their impact....more
For many individuals new to estate planning, particularly younger couples, there is something almost taboo when you start to discuss a revocable trust: does that mean our children will be trust fund babies?...more