Mamma Mia!: Common Estate Planning Issues for Blended Families
An Executor’s Guide to Administering an Estate
Interview with Lisa Grayson - Digital Planning Podcast
Inheritance Data - Digital Planning Podcast
Having a fantastic estate plan does not mean much if you do not take steps to implement and maintain it. Just like your car, your estate plan requires maintenance. We have a few tips to help you keep your estate plan up to...more
Intro. The Uniform Trust Code (UTC) is a mere aggregation of tweaks to the corner of equity jurisprudence that long ago gave birth to and currently stewards the trust relationship, hereinafter “the background trust law.”...more
Interested in trying to prepare your own estate plan? There are resources available to assist you, such as online services, computer software and how-to books. Do-it-yourself (DIY) estate planning may save you hundreds or...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
You’ve signed your estate plan – congratulations! The most important step is complete. But the next most important step with respect to your estate planning is yet to come. That step is to review your plan as time passes....more
Looking for a way to stop family arguments over politics? Well, who isn’t. A quick way to derail a familial political scuffle: Quietly announce that you want to talk about your will. The silence should be automatic. It’s...more
When most people think of estate planning, Trusts and Last Wills and Testaments usually come to mind. I have spent my career espousing the essential tools for ensuring an efficient transfer of assets from one generation to...more
Planning for your own incapacity or death can be a stressful experience, not just for yourself, but for anyone who will be affected by the plan. Here are some considerations that may preserve the peace within your family, now...more
The North Carolina Court of Appeals’ recent decision on December 3, 2024 in Abitol v. Clark highlights the critical role of clear drafting in estate planning and raises novel legal questions regarding the inheritance rights...more
Why is the end of the year a good time to consider trust and estate planning for business owners? Do you own real property or have other investments outside your business interests? Have you given any thought to what would...more
Certain life events demand that estate planners work with client testators to adjust their estate plans. Divorce and remarriage are at the top of that list. When matrimony devolves into acrimony – setting the stage for...more
In the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in 2018, I wrote this article to help individuals and families navigate the legal and financial issues that often follow a devastating storm. I remember the incredible outpouring of...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
Many people fear the word probate, and it is not without reason. Probate can be a tedious, expensive and lengthy process, where you are at the whim of the court’s timeline. But what is probate? Probate is when you must...more
Dear Jonathan: My father, a widower, passed away a couple of months ago. Being his only child, he appointed me as his agent on his durable power of attorney so that I can handle his bill paying which I have been doing for the...more
Avoiding probate is often an important goal for many estate planning clients. Probate is the court-supervised process of administering a deceased person’s estate and transferring their property at death pursuant to the terms...more
Aretha Franklin, the legendary Queen of Soul, passed away on August 16, 2018 from pancreatic cancer at the age of 76 in Detroit, Michigan. She left a legacy marked by her incomparable music and talent, and a $6 million...more
Trial attorney David Skidmore from Warner Norcross + Judd LLP’s Probate Litigation Practice Group, a subgroup of the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Group, recently represented clients in a trial before the...more
Losing a loved one is an emotional and challenging experience, and dealing with the legalities of their estate can add another layer of complexity. In New Jersey, the probate process is the legal procedure through which a...more
While undue influence claims are commonly asserted in probate proceedings, especially with the increased prevalence of dementia and similar disabilities, two recent cases from New York’s Appellate Division illustrate how...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
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
Subject Matter Matters in Land Court - DiNicola v. Ely, et al., No. 23 MISC 000128 (2023), Berkshire County (Land Court May 25, 2023) - Does the Massachusetts Land Court have subject matter jurisdiction over claims...more
This newsletter is intended to keep readers informed about developments in probate and fiduciary litigation in Massachusetts and New York. ...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