Estate Planning

• Posted in: Current Affairs

It looks like the long and weary road to estate tax clarity has come to an end. After a long week, Washington lawmakers voted to approve the tax package negotiated between President Obama and Republican leaders. Laura Saunders of the Wall Street Journal claims in her recent article that everything looks to be coming up […]

• Posted in: Current Affairs

Fruit baskets, kitchen gadgets, and Kindles aren’t the only gifts you can give loved ones this year (although you’ll see below that video game systems still make the cut.) Instead, why not give something unique that will leave a lasting impression and help protect your loved one? Here are a few non-traditional ideas for friends […]

• Posted in: Elder Law

Can you remember what you were doing in your early 20s? Can you imagine what kind of life you’ll be living in your 70s or 80s? We experience incredible changes as the decades roll by—not just to ourselves, but in the world at large. With our lives changing so much, our estate plan and strategies […]

• Posted in: Current Affairs

Over the past few years certain states have taken steps to legalize same-sex unions, with many same-sex couples joyously taking advantage of the new laws… but in spite of state approval, these newly married couples do not have the same rights as traditional married couples under federal law. This recent article from Elder Law Answers […]

• Posted in: Asset Protection

We write a lot on this blog about what estate planning is truly about: it’s about laws, taxes, assets, and documents of course; but deep down, estate planning is about family and relationships. As estate planners and advisors, an important part of what we do is creating the best estate planning or asset protection vehicle […]

• Posted in: Estate Planning

Creating an estate plan is a very personal matter; the planning party usually consists of you, your spouse or partner, and your attorney. Although you may consider and provide for your extended family, they are not often a part of the planning process itself. However, there are some circumstances under which estate planning should be […]

• Posted in: Elder Law

According to a recent report put out by the Alzheimer’s Association, 5.3 million people have Alzheimer’s disease. Chances are that you or someone you know has been touched by this illness. In spite of these overwhelming statistics, Alzheimer’s continues to be a disease that sneaks up on individuals and their families, quietly tearing apart lives […]

• Posted in: Current Affairs

Do you have a provision in your will or trust to pass your house on to your kids when you die? If so, you may want to consider giving the house to them now, before the end of the year. According to this article in the New York Times, doing so could be beneficial to […]

• Posted in: Estate Planning

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Although we hate to admit it, this statement will also sometimes apply to estate planning; and more often than we would like, it happens with powers of attorney. A power of attorney is the document in which you nominate an agent (or attorney-in-fact) to […]

• Posted in: Estate Planning

When people think about estate planning they generally think about inheritance, or taxes, or even guardianship—but rarely are the words “executor” or “agent” the first ones that come to mind. And yet, choosing your executor or your agent is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. Your executor is the person who carries […]