Everything You Need to Know About Beneficiary Designations
As our loved ones get older, we want to ensure that they have planned for their future. This often means having an estate plan in place to handle the distributions of their assets upon their passing or to plan for their...more
Though not a silver bullet for every situation, in appropriate circumstances, a Joint Revocable Living Trust ("Joint Trust") can provide a married couple with significant benefits and simplify the administration of assets...more
David F. Johnson presented “Trust Issues In Divorce Proceedings” on November 17, 2021. This presentation covered trust issues that arise in divorce disputes, such as spouses creating an irrevocable trust, fraud claims to void...more
Extra, Extra!- Last Friday afternoon, as millions of unsuspecting Americans prepared for the long Memorial Day weekend – for many, perhaps, their first mask-less holiday celebration in almost 15 months – the Biden...more
If you are getting divorced, you may find that your marital assets include interests in one or more trusts. It could be that you and your spouse established the trusts during your lifetime, or perhaps a family member created...more
To avoid family disputes over a will after one’s death, it’s worth taking the time now to institute steps to protect the will from legal challenges. This article details four specific steps for bulletproofing a will. A...more
As estate planners, we have seen it all over the years. What we have learned is that people make some common mistakes. Whether due to procrastination, lack of follow through, or ignoring their own mortality! This article...more
With the current estate tax exemption of $11.4 Million per individual, combined with the portability of estate tax exemption between spouses, most married couples no longer need to establish individual revocable trusts solely...more
Powers of attorney and trust instruments have each been the subject of many an estate plan. They each have also been the subject of multiple estate litigations. In combination, the two have served as fodder for controversies...more
Massachusetts courts have issued decisions on several topics of interest, including whether a revocable spendthrift trust may properly be included in a marital estate, what happens to assets left to a named beneficiary who...more