One of the things that makes managing legal issues so challenging is that the laws are always changing. This blog is designed to help you stay current on many of the latest changes.
Income, estate, and other federal tax levies have commonly been a bone of contention between those with different political ideologies. But the current conflict has reached unusual heights, with various million and billionaires publicly expressing their views (pro or against) about current tax laws. Of course, million or billionaires aren’t the only ones with strong […]
read more...The past few years have been tough on the average American family–what with the floundering economy and the roller coaster ride we’ve all been through with the stock market–but through it all some families and individuals have fared better than others; and many of these lucky ones are eager to extend a helping hand to […]
read more...A recent article in Forbes has shed light on a fact that estate planners have always known: there is far more to creating a good estate plan than just drafting the documents. In fact, according to the article, there is a fine art to putting together a good estate plan. “Estates are often shrouded in […]
read more...You may think that trusts and estate plans are only for the wealthy, but if you own real estate (including the home you live in) then your family could benefit from the protection and direction a revocable living trust provides. When it comes to real estate, a revocable living trust provides a benefit to your […]
read more...Does your family know your preferences for end-of-life care in case of emergency? Are you sure? If you haven’t created an Advance Healthcare Directive or spoken to your loved ones specifically about this issue, then chances are they don’t know your wishes, no matter how close you believe you are. Our firm understands that opening […]
read more...The past few years have seen a number of significant changes in estate tax law; so much so that estate planners—as well as anyone with a will, trust, or estate plan themselves—have had to stay on their toes! The most significant event in recent estate tax history was the lapse of the estate tax in […]
read more...Married couples take note: Congress passed a law in 2010 that can significantly reduce the amount your estate pays in estate taxes. Unfortunately, most couples are either completely unaware of this opportunity for savings, or they find out about it too late to take advantage of it. This recent article in the Wall Street Journal […]
read more...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. The job of administrator requires a rare and unique combination of talents, and finding one person with all of these traits is […]
read more...Most people, when they design their estate plan, think primarily about the large financial assets: real property, bank accounts, investment accounts, family businesses, etc. But any estate planner will tell you that the most heart-wrenching family rifts and disputes are not over money, but over the little things that end up having little or no […]
read more...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. Have you made […]
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