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 23: Naming Guardians for Minor Children
Once Removed Episode 22: Building Flexibility into the Estate Plan
Once Removed Episode 20: Helping a Beneficiary Purchase a Home
Life After Love Gone Wrong Podcast: Season 3, Episode 6 - Reshaping Your Legacy: Estate Planning After Your Divorce
Charitable Planning With Guest Stephanie Hood: Navigating Complex Rules and Traps for the Unwary
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
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
Taking the Sting Out of Death Taxes with Dylan Metzner, Jones & Keller
Basics of Estate Planning
The Case of the Disappearing Trust
Protecting Your Estate Plan from Challenges: No-Contest Clause Explained
The Secret Child
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
Newcomers to probate litigation are frequently surprised by how differently things work in probate court, as opposed to your more straightforward civil courts. (And how do those newcomers know how civil courts work? Law &...more
A gun trust is a specialized legal tool designed to help firearm owners manage and transfer firearms in compliance with federal and state laws. It provides a secure framework for owning, managing, and passing down firearms,...more
In a Sept. 11, 2023 JDSUPRA posting I questioned the doctrinal and practical utility of partial legislative codifications of equity’s principles-based jurisprudence, such as the UTC, the very institution of the trust being a...more
Exploring the Visibility of Wills: Understanding Public Record in Estate Planning - Wills serve as vital documents outlining the distribution of finances, possessions, and property after an individual’s passing. It’s common...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
If you expect to face disputes over the allocation of your loved one’s estate, retaining a probate litigation attorney might be the right choice. Here’s what you need to know about hiring an experienced attorney who can help...more
With the exciting and long overdue news of the increase in the Massachusetts estate tax exemption from $1 million to $2 million for decedents dying on or after January 1, 2023, many Massachusetts residents have been left...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
Unfortunately, including an in terrorem (“no contest”) clause in your Will does not make it impenetrable under New York law....more
In Reece Trust v. Reece, a husband created a trust for his wife, and they then began divorce proceedings. No. 22CA1393, 2023 COA 89, 2023 Colo. App. LEXIS 1456 (Colo. App. September 28, 2023)....more
This update will address the following issues: whether a party has a right to jury trial in trust modification and other similar actions, what are the standards for pretrial receivership and injunctive relief in trust...more
What are the most important elements of estate and tax planning for US expatriates? Are you planning to move out of the United States? Are you a US taxpayer who lives and works outside of the country? What are some of the...more
In Arkansas, estate planning is vital. By understanding the tools at residents’ disposal, such as wills and trusts, Arkansans can ensure the security of their assets, provide for their loved ones, and leave a lasting legacy...more
DURING YOUR LIFE - When preparing your estate plan, it is of utmost importance to ensure that you have documents in place so your spouse or another trusted individual can make medical and financial decisions on your...more
According to the 2023 Wills and Estate Planning Survey by Caring.com, only 34 percent of Americans have an estate plan. The primary reasons respondents gave for not participating in estate planning are:.....more
All too often, the demise of a celebrity serves as a cautionary reminder of the many pitfalls and traps related to estate planning. In January of 2020, NBA superstar Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna tragically passed away...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
Estate planning involves discussing personal topics such as family, finances, and future goals. A well-designed estate plan will preserve your legacy for generations to come. Therefore, creating an estate plan is one of the...more
People often assume that if their estate isn’t taxable, they don’t need to have an estate plan. In 2023, a Massachusetts estate tax return must be filed if the value of the deceased person’s gross estate exceeds $1 million. A...more
In the Estate of Beverly Howe (Mich Ct App March 9, 2023) (unpublished), the Court of Appeals reviewed two tools employed at the probate court level to address a litigious beneficiary whose claims were causing the estate and...more
Although transfer-on-death (TOD) and payable-on-death (POD) designations on financial accounts can be an effective tool to avoid the probate process, these account designations have the potential to derail a customer’s estate...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