How to Address an Estranged Child in your Planning
Perhaps one of the most difficult, and increasingly common, estate planning questions involves the inclusion or disinheritance of an estranged child.
August 26, 2021
What a Power of Attorney Should Include
Many people have signed at least one power of attorney in their life. A power of attorney, which names a trusted family member, friend or advisor as your ‘attorney-in-fact’ to control your assets, is meant to be used if you are incapacitated.
August 23, 2021
Episode 7 of The Estate of The Union Podcast
We are estate planning and probate attorneys and we experience death weekly. The saddest aspect of our work is knowing that most, if not all,
August 20, 2021
Succession Planning for Family Farm
Conversations about family succession plans are difficult.
July 27, 2021
Blended Family Dynamics create Challenges
We have seen some step siblings able to all get along fine but they seem to be the exception. More likely, one sibling feels divided loyalty to the birth parent, not the step-parent.
July 26, 2021
You can be POA and Joint Account Owner
I know of someone who was joint account holder with his dad for many years, then later his dad then appointed him as power of attorney. How does that work? Is the son still a joint account holder?
July 15, 2021
Unrecorded Deeds hurt Estate Planning
While discussing estate planning with my parents, they told me that an attorney prepared a deed for them but told them not to record it yet.
June 24, 2021
QTIP Trusts Help avoid Estate Taxes
Right now, gifts to trusts can take advantage of high tax exemptions and remove future appreciation of assets from taxable estates. One example available to spouses is making a gift to a trust that allows for a qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) election.
June 22, 2021
Short-Cuts in Planning can have Consequences
Over the years I get all kinds of questions from people. And boy, have I heard some doozies. But one common one I get is called the ‘lazy (or poor) man’s (or woman’s’) estate planning.’ This type of estate planning has some very negative tax consequences.
June 15, 2021
Not Everyone can Contest a Will
The death of a loved one results in an emotional grief that, when combined with large sums of money on the line, can cause the beneficiaries of the will or trust or the heirs of the deceased to challenge the validity, interpretation, or administration of the will or trust.
June 14, 2021