New tax laws raise a lot of questions, including the use of gifting. Gifting is usually done as a way of shrinking an estate as much as possible to lower the eventual estate tax burden.  However, that may no longer be necessary for some people, according to My San Antonio in “How gifting of ranch […]

Horses may have become part of your family. However, under the law, horses and other pets are property. The law considers your horses and other pets in the same category as assets, such as your house or automobile. However, there are options to guarantee their care, according to Newsmax in “Equestrian Legacy Planning Through Trusts.” You […]

Sometimes it is best if your home does go through probate. Putting your child’s name on the deed of your home may avoid probate. However, it is almost always a very bad idea because of the risks involved, according to My Prime Time News in “Deeds and Probate Avoidance.” The problem is that by putting a […]

Once you take the first couple of steps, it often becomes an easy process. You may only need a few documents to get your estate plan underway but people often delay because of the concern of complications, according to Forbes in “More Than Half of Americans Don’t Have These Essential Estate Documents, Do You?“. The […]

Information and education can go a long way in helping your children to use an inheritance wisely. Mistakes can be made by children who inherit money but lack the information on how to deal with it maturely and wisely, according to Nasdaq in “5 Things Your Kids Should Know Before They Inherit Your Money.” Much […]

Stepmothers take one of the top spots in wars over estates. However, they may not be at fault. Stepmothers are present in many of the battles launched over estates, according to Forbes in “Stepmothers: The Cause Of So Many Estate Fights.” The problem is not really stepmothers. When family members do not get along for […]

Funeral home director says it is standard practice to protect coffin from the cold. A family in Australia is suing a funeral home for swapping coffins from an expensive model to a less expensive one prior to transfer to a crematorium, according to Fox News in “Funeral Home swapped $1,700 coffin with $70 one family […]

Changes may create decrease in donations. Some of the changes in the new tax laws may mean that 21 million people will no longer take a charitable deduction on their taxes, according to Forbes in “21 Million Taxpayers Will Stop Taking Charitable Deductions Under the New Tax Law.” The primary worry is that any increase […]

Significant changes mean it is a good time to meet with your attorney to consider revising estate plans. The tax changes recently signed into law create a need to go to an estate planning attorney to make sure your estate plan is still optimal for you and your family. Forbes offered some suggestions of things […]

It is important to plan ahead in case you are one of the people who will suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a scary proposition and something everyone should consider as a possibility in their future, according to the Times Herald-Record in “Disability planning is vital in case of cognitive impairment.” Unfortunately, experts do […]