Once Removed Episode 21: Passing Down the “Family Cottage” or Other Legacy Property
Business Succession Planning Podcast with Janathan Allen
M&As – Novation and Recertification
Preserving Deferred Tax Assets in a Capital Raise
Over the next two decades, reports are estimating that baby boomers will pass down a combined $84.4 trillion in assets to younger generations. Dubbed the “Great Wealth Transfer,” this phenomenon is already underway and will...more
What is the step-up benefit of a revocable trust from the perspective of the beneficiaries? How can a revocable trust not only pass money and assets to your beneficiaries but save a substantial amount of tax in the process? ...more
It is a basic principle of the income tax that the gain or loss realized by a taxpayer from the conversion of property into cash, or from the exchange of property for other property that differs materially in kind from the...more
If you are in the process of long-term estate planning or updating an existing estate plan, the process for passing assets and accounts to your heirs is about to become much more difficult and expensive. Presently, each...more
The court in Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas LLC v. 1776 Energy Partners, LLC, 672 S.W.3d 391 (Tex. 2023) explained that “constructive trusts, being remedial in character, have the very broad function of redressing wrong or...more
In International Rescue Committee v. Trustee of the Wylie Street Emergency Fund, 537 P.3d 30 (2023), the Supreme Court of Idaho cited Black’s Law Dictionary (11th ed. 2019) as authority for the proposition that “a person can...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
What is the Probate Process in New York? Probate is the formal legal process that gives recognition to a will and appoints the executor or personal representative who will administer the estate and distribute the...more
When considering an estate plan, clients who own firearms should remember that very often, their firearms require special consideration and planning, particularly given the intricacies of federal, state, and local gun laws...more
Stepped-up basis is a tax law that applies to estate transfers when a person receives an asset from a giver after a benefactor passes away. In those circumstances, the asset receives a “stepped-up” basis – which is the market...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
Unanticipated changes in the law or circumstances may derail a careful plan to preserve a client’s intent to transfer wealth through trusts. A “trust protector” originated from a need to protect offshore trusts from...more
In Ahlgren v. Ahlgren, the plaintiff asserted that the defendant breached fiduciary duties by taking assets held in trust for the plaintiff’s father. No. 13-22-00029-CV, 2022 Tex. App. LEXIS 2843 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi...more
WHAT IS CRYPTOCURRENCY? Cryptocurrency is a digital asset that is created and traded online. Miners (computer operators) establish new units of digital currency and record them on a blockchain, a string of verified public...more
In an opinion released last week, the Minnesota Court of Appeals rejected a petition to modify the terms of a trust to allow for the early distribution of trust assets to the beneficiaries. The court also denied the...more
Mishaps of celebrities in their estate planning can offer insight into what can happen when you neglect your estate planning. While interest in a band or song rights may not be a part of your family’s portfolio, business...more
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have far-reaching effects which are expected to be felt for months to come, if not longer. The economy has been hit hard and the stock market has seen a dramatic reduction in value. ...more
Firms permitting the creation and operation of custodial accounts related to Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA) transactions must take special notice of Financial Industry Regulatory...more
Last Sunday I learned that my mother’s dear friend who is very active, hikes daily, gardens daily, does senior yoga weekly, eats a healthy diet, and has many volunteer and social commitments that keep her happy, went on a...more
“The attorney client privilege, the oldest among common-law evidentiary privileges, fosters the open dialogue between lawyer and client that is deemed essential to effective representation” (Spectrum Sys. Intern. Corp. v...more
In Sanders v. Hathaway, the decedent’s estate’s representative sued her sister for various claims arising from the decedent’s beneficiary designation changes, deed transfers, and accounts payable on death changes that...more
In a “legitimate” Trust, the ownership and control of the Trust assets and income is “separate” from a Settlor’s control and benefit. IRS has been reporting that Trusts are used for abusive tax schemes to hide true ownership...more
Transferring assets into trust for the benefit of children or others is a common estate planning tool. The party making the transfer into a trust gives up any right to control the property or its distribution....more
In Estate of Keener, two heirs of a trust settlor filed an application to declare heirship. No. 13-18-00007-CV, 2019 Tex. App. LEXIS 1222 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi February 21, 2019, no pet. history)....more
Probate. The word itself is enough to strike fear into the hearts of elderly individuals and their loved ones. It conjures images of lengthy delays waiting for wealth to be transferred and bitter disputes among family...more