What Can Happen When Your Loved Ones Don’t Know Where to Find Your Estate Planning Documents?

Tag Archives: estate planning attorney

What Can Happen When Your Loved Ones Don’t Know Where to Find Your Estate Planning Documents?

It’s common sense to let your loved ones know where you keep your will, living will and other vital estate planning documents. Despite careful and thorough estate planning, your attorney can run into barriers when administering your estate if they do not have your original documents in their possession. Forbes magazine published an article that […]

How the 2013 Supreme Court Ruling Affects Estate Taxes for Same-Sex Couples

Significant protections became available for same-sex married couples based on the July 2013 Supreme Court decision that struck down a key provision in the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). On August 29, 2013, the IRS and U.S. Department of the Treasury — in line with the Supreme Court’s ruling — announced that legally married same-sex […]

What Tax Changes Occurred in 2014 for Estate Planning?

Inflation adjustments affect federal estate tax deductions and in that regard can affect estate planning. Keeping up with the changes in federal laws that govern estates can be challenging, which is why working with your lawyer is important. It seems like the legislature proposes changes every few years. The following are areas you should be […]

Does Where You Live Make Much Difference with Estate Planning?

Where you live can make a considerable difference in whether you pay estate or inheritance taxes after a loved one dies. The following example clarifies how this is true. Let’s say your elderly mother is failing physically and in an effort to make things easier for everyone, she decides to move from her Florida residence […]

Do You and Your Elderly Parents Want to Avoid a Guardianship?

Yes — avoid a guardianship if at all possible. A number of people today suffer from dementia in their elder years. Sometimes families don’t realize the extent of their parents’ memory loss and its legal implications. Family members often live in other states or visit infrequently. By the time they discover their parents’ dementia, the […]

A Look at Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s Estate Planning

Celebrities are generally in the limelight, and consequently, we can often learn valuable lessons from their errors. As far as learning from mistakes, estate planning is no different than many other areas of life. According to the Forbes, Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s estate is worth $35 million. Even so, the most current version of Hoffman’s will, […]

How to Talk to Your Parents About Their Estate Planning

If you are like most people, bringing up estate planning with your parents is extremely awkward. You may worry that your parents may think you are just trying to find out how much money you may inherit. However, if you are likely to be the person to take over your parents’ finances when they die […]

Do You Need a Living Will?

A living will is document that details your desires regarding end-of-life decisions. It records whether you wish to receive treatments to sustain your life, including resuscitation and feeding, if you become incapacitated and are unable to communicate your wishes. A living will can be beneficial for a number of different reasons: It removes the heavy […]

The Importance of Gift Planning

There is tremendous personal satisfaction in sharing your good fortune with those you love and supporting causes you care about. There are also tax advantages to doing just that. With federal estate taxes set at 40 percent for any amount in your estate that exceeds $5,340,000, it is crucial for wealthy individuals to explore ways […]

The Perfect Trust (For You)

Revocable living trusts, irrevocable trusts, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, special needs trusts, education trusts, testamentary trusts, trusts with tax provisions and trusts without. Trusts come in all shapes and sizes and can do most anything you want them to. The key is to determine exactly what you need a trust for and to […]