Mamma Mia!: Common Estate Planning Issues for Blended Families
Financial Planning Tips for the Sandwich Generation with Sherry Finkel Murphy
Once Removed Episode 38: The Legacy Mindset: What It Is and How to Build It
Once Removed Episode 13: It’s 5 o’Clock: Do You Know Where Your Will Is? A Lesson From Aretha Franklin
The Case of the Laughing Heirs
The Secret Child
Welcome to 'Splitting Heirs'
Ruder Ware's Elder Law Team Recognizes National Special Needs Law Month - Part 2
Law Brief: Alexis Gruttadauria and Rich Schoenstein Discuss Why You Need an Estate Plan
Inheritance Data - Digital Planning Podcast
It is becoming increasingly commonplace for people to enter long-term romantic relationships without legally marrying. While there are no exact statistics on how many Americans fall into this growing category, a 2019 Pew...more
Are you considering remarriage? Do you and/or your spouse have children from a previous marriage? If so, remarriage and a blended family are excellent reasons for a new or updated estate plan. Blended families are quickly...more
Axios published an article this week about what it terms the “growing acceptance” of prenuptial agreements. The sum of the article is based on a Harris poll reporting that 50% of those interviewed support the idea of couples...more
I received a call recently from a colleague looking to refer a client for a divorce. Our firm had done estate planning for the client and spouse, thus we were not eligible to represent either party in a marital break up as...more
If you’re preparing to get remarried, your estate plan likely isn’t top of mind. However, depending on the state you live in, your spouse has property rights that apply regardless of the terms of your estate plan. These...more
When you're planning a wedding, discussing a prenuptial agreement with your soon-to-be spouse may not seem exciting or may even feel uncomfortable. Yet, no one knows what the future holds, and a prenuptial agreement can...more
Ask anyone being married for the first time why he or she should have a premarital agreement and the answer is commonly: “Why would I, I don’t really own anything?” followed quickly by the romantic sentiment, “and besides, I...more
I have seen this more than one time in my career. One party (or his/her family members) really wants there to be a prenuptial agreement but, either due to lack of time, fear/cowardice, not having your act together, or any...more
The presents are unwrapped, and gifts exchanged. But that gift with your name on it, or that new vehicle in the driveway with a big bow on top, is it really yours? Or, in the event of a divorce or legal separation, is it...more
YES! If you don’t have a prenuptial agreement the California Family Code applies. You might as well familiarize yourself with California law and decide whether you want to opt out via a prenuptial agreement....more
The Probate & Fiduciary Litigation Newsletter compiles recent Trust & Estate cases. Brother Gets the Cat – and Not Much Else - Where the decedent left his brother his “beloved old cat” and a small sum of money, and...more
What is one of the things that kids from a first marriage worry about when their parent re-marries? The “evil” step-parent getting it all, of course. Many parents struggle with the problem of alleviating the fears of their...more
An issues that frequently arises is the treatment of an inheritance received by a spouse during the marriage. The basic rule is that any property received via gift or inheritance during the marriage is exempt from equitable...more
In the summer of the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall riots, the LGBT* community have a lot to celebrate. In the last 15 years, there have been significant changes for same-sex couples in England and Wales. In 2004 the...more
Divorce and remarriage are common in the United States, and most legal professionals place these issues squarely within the family law realm. However, people who remarry should also carefully revisit their estate plan...more
So you have an estate plan? Good for you. You funded it? Even better. But have you updated it and your will in the last year? If you haven’t, your loved ones or favorite charities may be in for an unpleasant surprise. Your...more