Once Removed Episode 19: The Step-Transaction Doctrine and the Case of Smaldino
Once Removed Episode 18: The Reciprocal Trust Doctrine
Charitable Planning With Guest Stephanie Hood: Navigating Complex Rules and Traps for the Unwary
Once Removed Episode 16: Gift and Estate Tax, Inflation Adjustments for 2024
Once Removed Episode 17: Annual Gifting to Individuals: Options, Opportunities and Pitfalls
Once Removed Episode 12: SLATs and the Case of McKim vs. McKim
Once Removed Episode 11: Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts, or SLATs
Once Removed Episode 10: Trustee Removal and Case Update on Leo Kahn Revocable Trust
(A)ESOP's Fables - The Income and Estate Tax-Free ESOP
The Renoir Spelling Bee
Taking the Sting Out of Death Taxes with Dylan Metzner, Jones & Keller
RETURN TO FOREVER - What Game Shall We Play Today?
To Give or Not to Give: Considerations for Year-End Gifting
INTRODUCING MALTA SPLIT DOLLAR
THE PAPER CHASE
With a Little Help from My Friends
The Greatest Gift: Your Individual + Family Estate Plan
As the clock ticks down to the end of 2025, the impending sunset of key provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) looms large, threatening tax hikes for millions of Americans. With Congress at a crossroads, the...more
Remember, as a general concept, estate planning allows an individual to plan not only for what happens to his or her estate upon death, but also how his or her affairs are handled during life. There are certain documents that...more
Across all industries, family offices and their owners and management teams face rapidly evolving challenges, opportunities, and risks in the dynamic environment that is 2025. Here are six issues that family offices should...more
Starting January 1, 2026, many provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) are set to expire. Among the most significant provisions set to sunset is the increased estate and gift tax exemption, which currently...more
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued Private Letter Ruling (PLR) 202504006, addressing several important estate and gift tax questions related to the division of a marital trust and the subsequent disclaimer of...more
Now’s the time to review your GST tax exposure Absent congressional action this year, the federal gift and estate exemption and the generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemption (currently $13.99 million) are scheduled...more
For many families, owning an apartment in Israel – whether as a second home or a cherished holiday retreat – is a lifelong dream. The journey from selecting the right property, navigating the purchase process, and turning a...more
As we approach the end of the first quarter of 2025, estate planners and their clients are closely monitoring developments in Washington, D.C. The scheduled sunset of the increased estate and gift tax exemption is now less...more
On February 13, 2025, Republican lawmakers in Congress introduced the Death Tax Repeal Act, which aims to permanently eliminate the federal estate tax. Since 2015, various legislative efforts to repeal the estate, gift, and...more
At $13.99 million for 2025, the federal estate tax exclusion is the largest it has ever been, but it will be reduced by half in 2026, which you can read more about in this advisory....more
In the Soundtrack of Our Lives, one of the songs that I still get to hear from time to time on Sirius XM, is “Still the One” which was recorded and released by the band Orleans in 1976. I was in the tenth grade just to be...more
How often should you review your trust and estate plan? Is there a regular cycle to these reviews, or should they be driven by significant events in your life or the lives of your beneficiaries and executor or trustee? How...more
As is our tradition each January, several Warner attorneys attended the annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, the country’s most well-respected educational event for professionals working in the trusts and estates...more
On February 12, 2025, the House proposed a budget resolution that earmarked up to $4.5 trillion for tax cuts over the next ten years. While the House has yet to elaborate on specific tax cuts or legislation, a widely...more
The provenance of any item is essential to determining its value. Proper documentation of an item’s history and proof of chain of title help establish authenticity, ensuring the highest fair market value at the time of sale....more
The Massey Family’s $10M Settlement: A Win, But What’s Next? Sonya Massey’s tragic death was yet another painful reminder of the deep racial injustices that persist in America. On July 6, 2024, Sonya, a 36-year-old Black...more
New legislation to repeal the federal estate tax, often referred to as the “death tax,” has been introduced in Congress. Senator John Thune (R-SD) and Representative Randy Feenstra (R-IA) have introduced companion bills in...more
When minor children are addressed in an estate plan, special considerations are involved to ensure their well-being and financial security. Parents ought to make decisions about who they would prefer to serve as the guardian...more
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is set to end at the close of this year, resulting in a federal estate exclusion that is less than half of the current $13.99 million exclusion. Other changes to the tax structure are...more
Litigation attorneys have had the ability to defer contingency fees since 1994. You are hard pressed to find another profession that has this tax advantage. Hedge fund managers have been running and winning the “Death Race”...more
On January 17, 2025, news sources reported that Republican members of Congress circulated a detailed list of legislative policy options, including tax proposals. This blog post summarizes some of the tax proposals and...more
Let’s work off of this premise: an estate planner’s job is to help a client pass their value and values to the following generations to the fullest extent possible, addressing as many of the obstacles in doing so as...more
The Chicago Bears are a charter member of the National Football League, with ownership maintained by George Halas and later, his daughter, Virginia Halas McCaskey, for over 100 years. Upon Virginia McCaskey’s death last week,...more
For federal estate and gift tax purposes, transfers are valued at the “fair market value” of the asset on the date of transfer. One of the more common estate tax audit issues is the failure to properly report the value of...more
Dear Jonathan: Based on my research, I feel like I’m pretty well versed in what I am supposed to do when it comes to creating an estate plan for myself. Everything I have read says that I should have a will, powers of...more