Next Generation Legacy Management - The Essence of Developing, Managing and Implementing a Plan for Future Generations
Once Removed Episode 13: It’s 5 o’Clock: Do You Know Where Your Will Is? A Lesson From Aretha Franklin
Authorization for Final Disposition
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
The Renoir Spelling Bee
Basics of Estate Planning
The Case of the Laughing Heirs
Protecting Your Estate Plan from Challenges: No-Contest Clause Explained
The Secret Child
Welcome to 'Splitting Heirs'
Interview with Cody Barbo - Digital Planning Podcast
An Executor’s Guide to Administering an Estate
Estate Planning 101: The Five Most Important Clauses for Wills and Trusts
Interview with Lisa Grayson - Digital Planning Podcast
The State of Digital Assets
Global Evolution of Electronic Wills and COVID-19
Everything You Need to Know About Beneficiary Designations
You just landed your first “real” job and are looking forward to the exciting opportunities ahead. Your new job is accompanied by a 401k and opening a savings account. You have a car and you are thinking about buying your...more
Dying without a valid will in place is never a good idea. In the absence of your testamentary intent your assets are left to the whims of the current intestacy laws of the state in which you reside. In Maryland, those laws...more
The untimely death of rapper Takeoff, a member of the Grammy-nominated hip-hop trio Migos—also consisting of rappers Quavo and Offset—left fans, family, and the music industry in shock. Born Kirshnik Khari Ball, Takeoff’s...more
Choosing between a will and a living trust in Washington state can be confusing for various reasons. You may feel that you don’t know which estate planning tool will help you manage your financial portfolio or complex assets....more
As estate planning attorneys, a question that often arises with new and prospective clients is, “What happens if I die without a will?” The short answer is this: if you die without a valid will in Massachusetts, state law...more
In Estate of Long, the plaintiff sued trustees and alleged that she was the only child of the decedent and asserted a cause of action for a will contest and a cause of action for a declaratory judgment action in which she...more
New amendments to the Israeli Succession Law came into effect recently. These amendments aim to alleviate the bureaucratic burden involved both in issuing probate orders or inheritance orders and in supervising estate...more
You may have heard of the Battle of the Bands, but have you ever heard of the Battle of the Wills? Aretha Franklin died in 2018, but the legal battle over her estate continues today in the Michigan Probate Courts....more
Many people are fearful of contemplating their own deaths. However, failure to plan or consider what should happen to your assets at death may be very harmful to your family. If you fail to plan and die without a will, the...more
The COVID-19 pandemic has focused us all on necessities and on trying to prepare for an uncertain future. This article outlines why an estate plan is one of those necessities. I Don’t Have an Estate Plan; What Would Happen...more
You’ve heard the adage: Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Never is that more true than with estate planning. When you create an estate plan, you choose exactly who gets your assets, how they get them and in what manner...more
In In re Estate of Ethridge, a testatrix signed a will that provided that “all my personal effects” would be devised to her nephew in law and that her half interest in a home went to another person. No. 11-17-00291-CV, 2019...more
When Aretha Franklin died last year, it was believed that she died without a will and that her estate, estimated to be worth $80 million, would pass under Michigan’s intestacy laws. In May of this year, however, the personal...more
Legendary singer Aretha Franklin was thought to have died without a will, but the recent discovery of handwritten documents in her home is calling that into question. A representative of her estate has asked a Michigan...more
Today, one can do practically anything online that used to require face-to-face contact — and that includes downloading a form to write his or her will. This brief article discusses the downsides of a “do-it-yourself” will....more
Probate. The word itself is enough to strike fear into the hearts of elderly individuals and their loved ones. It conjures images of lengthy delays waiting for wealth to be transferred and bitter disputes among family...more
Despite what one might think, estate planning isn’t limited to only the rich and famous. Previously, avoiding or minimizing federal estate tax liability was a primary motivation for creating an estate plan. But with a...more
A Last Will and Testament directs your Executor how and to whom your assets are to be disposed. If you do not have a Will, assets in your name when you die will pass under New York State’s intestacy laws. However, only the...more
With all the changes in the new tax laws, some people may be hesitant to move forward with an estate plan. It is important, however, to keep in mind that most clients will not be subject to the federal estate tax and...more
The terms Beneficiary and Heir both refer to someone who receives an inheritance after someone passes away. However, while the terms are often used interchangeably, they do not always refer to the same individual or set of...more
Estate planning probably isn’t high on the priority list for many 20-year-olds, even if they are 20-year-olds serving in uniform. While the Armed Forces may make it easy for those serving our country to get a will, these...more
In In re Estate of Neal, Larry Ronald Neal executed a will in which he bequeathed his personal property to his niece, Valorie Jean White, and omitted a devise to his daughter. No. 02-16-00381-CV, 2017 Tex. App. LEXIS 10541...more
Where there’s a will, there’s a way — a way to pass assets to heirs in the manner in which a person wants. However, if an individual dies without a will, assets will be distributed according to state law, regardless of the...more
In This Issue: - An uncertain tax climate: An estate tax repeal might result in negative tax consequences for some families - A 529 plan can benefit your estate plan - Would a spendthrift trust help achieve your...more
I’m not typically one to follow pop culture, but in the case of Prince’s lack of an estate plan, I’m following closely how this can serve as an example of how not to do your estate plan. An earlier post discussed the...more