DOMA is Unconstitutional, Now What?
When the U.S. Supreme Court handed down their ruling last Wednesday, striking section 3 from the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as unconstitutional, the Court radically changed the estate planning laws for many same-sex married couples. Not only are marriages of same-sex couples is now recognized as legal under federal law, but they can now […]
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Pitfalls in Planning for Domestic Partners
Domestic partners, even ones registered with a state, do not share the same rights as married couples. Therefore, domestic partners need to be extra careful when crafting their estate plans. A recent article describes several common pitfalls to avoid in domestic partner estate planning. The first pitfall occurs in gifting assets to a partner. Domestic […]
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How to Give Away Your Home
A common estate planning question is whether it is better to allow your heirs to inherit your home, or give it to them as a gift. This article in the Los Angeles Times addresses that question. Generally, it is better to let your child inherit homes that have appreciated in value since your original […]
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