“Personal property is a unique category of asset. Even in the simplest after-death distribution, personal property can become a hindrance to final distribution. There are a couple of reasons why.” Creating and probating a last will and testament is rarely a simple task, but one of the most challenging aspects is the distribution of personal […]

“The Covid-19 has produced a rise in estate planning…but not a large enough one. Most Americans still do not have a last will and testament.” It’s true—many people still believe that they don’t have enough assets so they don’t need a will, or that their money will automatically go to a next of kin. Both […]

“Maybe not tomorrow, but the sunset of our historically high estate tax exemptions is coming—and with the election on its way, it could be sooner than you think.” In 2018, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) doubled the lifetime gift, estate and generation-skipping tax exemption to $11.18 million from $5.6 million. With adjustments for […]

“Building enough wealth to sustain yourself in retirement is a monumental achievement. However, financial planning doesn’t end when you no longer rely on a paycheck.” How you handle money and legal matters during retirement is more important than during your working years. It’s harder to bounce back from financial setbacks when you aren’t getting a […]

“When do you need your estate plan to ‘go to work’ for you? While you may think the right answer is ‘after I die,’ the actual answer is ‘if I lose the ability to manage my own affairs.’” There are two different types of advance directives, and they have very different purposes, as explained in […]

“Although Social Security helps millions of seniors stay afloat financially, living on those benefits alone could mean winding up cash-strapped in retirement.” When originally created, Social Security was designed to prevent the elderly and infirm from sinking into dire poverty. When most working Americans enjoyed a pension from their employer, Social Security was an additional […]

“The inheritance you leave could be eaten away by taxes or given to the wrong person. Here are five tips to avoid that.” It is true that a single person who dies in 2020 could have up to $11.58 million in personal assets and their heirs would not have to pay any federal estate tax. […]

“Prince’s sudden death in 2016 triggered numerous court proceedings. First, probate documents had to be filed in court because Prince died without a will.” Filing probate documents was just the beginning of process that still hasn’t ended the bad news from the Prince estate. He did not have a spouse or children, but Prince had […]

“If you have not already been inundated with invitations to webinars, articles and newsletters regarding  estate planning, you should consider doing so before the end of the year, since you undoubtedly will receive these over the next few months.” When it comes to estate planning, there’s no such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” solution. That is […]

“Attorney-client privilege requires that attorneys keep confidential and refrain from sharing all secrets and other confidences of clients.” One of the hardest parts of an estate planning attorney’s jobs is managing the death of a client. Estate planning attorneys are highly skilled at creating plans, while clients are living and at administering the plans after […]