Who Do You Trust To Administer Your Estate?
For many people the hardest part of creating an estate plan isn’t deciding what to leave to their heirs, but deciding who they trust enough with the difficult job of administering their estate.
Notes on family and the law
Plain-spoken answers to the questions families ask us. These articles are educational material, not legal advice, and shouldn’t be relied on as legal counsel.
How to Pass Down Your Most Valuable Assets: Memories
Most people, when they design their estate plan, think primarily about the large financial assets: real property, bank accounts, investment accounts, family businesses, etc.
What Will Happen to Your Pet After You Are Gone?
When most people think about estate planning they think about friends and relatives, they think about minor children or grandchildren, they think about family heirlooms or large assets to pass on to the next generation. There is one family member who often gets overlooked when estate plans are being made: your pets.
Protect Your Child With Special Needs
The thought that your child may have to survive on his or her own before they are ready is every parent’s worst fear; it’s what keeps many parents up at night, and what brings many parents into our offices asking about trusts, guardians, and estate plans.
Should Zombies Pay Estate Taxes?
How dead do you have to be before the government can tap your estate for estate taxes? Do you have to be only kind of dead, or do you have to be fully dead-dead?
With $5 Million Gift Tax Exclusion Set to Expire, Is Now the Time for You to Give?
When legislation in 2010 raised the lifetime gift tax exclusion amount from $1 million to $5 million many wealthy families rejoiced, expecting that they would now be able to give large gifts to children or grandchildren and be able to save millions in taxes at the same time.
Prepare Your Kids for a Large Inheritance
One of the unspoken rules in many families is that you don’t talk about money, and you especially don’t talk about money with your kids. What many parents are finding out, however, is that keeping hush-hush about money matters leaves children unprepared, unappreciative, and uncomfortable when they eventually come into their large inheritance.
How Healthy Are Your Finances? A Mid-Year Financial Check-up
Our last blog post mentions upcoming changes to tax law this winter, and what further changes may be in store once November comes around and we know who will be in the White House next year.
Changing Tax Law and the Presidential Campaign
Curiosity and excitement are always to be expected in an election year—especially curiosity about taxes.
Should Heirs Pay Estate Taxes on Assets They Can’t Sell?
Throughout history artists and their artwork have often been on the leading edge of controversy. In a recent brou-ha-ha between the heirs of the New York art dealer Ileana Sonnabend and the U.S.
Start Your Marriage Off On Strong and Secure Financial Footing
Every time a celebrity couple splits up news sources start asking questions about prenuptial agreements. It’s been no different during the past few weeks as news and speculation about Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ divorce leaks out. But prenuptial agreements aren’t only for celebrities, and they aren’t only for the rich and famous.
Necessary Legal Documents Every 18 Year Old Should Have
The year your child turns 18 is an important year: it’s the year they’re able to vote for the first time, it’s usually the year they graduate from high school, and it’s the year your child becomes an adult in the eyes of the law.