Estate Planning

The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 made “permanent” the concept of portability. The use of portability in estate planning has changed how planning is done for many married couples. This is the first of three articles on portability in estate planning. These articles are of particular relevance to married couples who either have no…

I’ve often said, while people plan their estates to avoid probate and save taxes, at its core, estate planning is about making things easier on the ones they leave behind. This sentiment is especially true for families with minor children. While typically guidelines in estate planning are more discretionary than hard and fast, one such…

There are lots of reasons to do estate planning, but at its core, people plan for their estates to make things easier on the ones they leave behind. In the situation of a blended family, the likelihood that things will not go smoothly for your loved ones after you are gone is a distinct possibility.…

Here’s the simple truth about estate taxes (AKA “Death Taxes”): very few people need to be concerned with them. Who does need to be concerned? Under current law, only those who have estates greater than $5 million. Here’s why: Everyone who dies is subject to a federal estate tax of 40% of your wealth that…

Because life is anything but predictable, an estate plan must include contingencies for the unexpected while you are still living. If at any time you become incapacitated and need to rely on others to make crucial decisions for you, you’ll be glad that you have provided them with documentation that speaks for you when you…

We’ve all heard the old adage about the mistake of assuming anything; what it does to both U and ME. But assuming certain things about estate planning can do more harm than just making you feel like some sort of fool, it can leave you and your loved ones in a financial mess, both before…

Understanding that a good plan is one that meets your expectations, it follows that a good estate planning lawyer is one who meets your expectations. This is done by separating strategy from goal, and finding the right solutions to bring those goals to fruition. Even if you’re unsure of the exact goals of your plan,…

Last week we discussed the top five questions you should ask an estate planning attorney before engaging his services. This week we’ll take a look at the top five questions to ask yourself to effectively pursue estate planning: What issues are most important for me to address in my planning? Typically, some event has occurred…

What criteria would you use in selecting an estate planning attorney? Most people have little more to rely on than their own gut, and for good reason. We rely on professionals for their expertise, otherwise we would probably do it ourselves. So it’s a bit of a leap of faith, and unfortunately in the case of estate…