• As a mother, you naturally want to ensure your child’s future in every way. For many new mothers, infancy is a time for celebrating new life, and making a Will is the last thing on their minds. For others, the […]

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  • Considering the myriad of trusts available, creating an estate plan that works can seem daunting.  However, that’s what we, as estate planning attorneys, do every day. We know the laws and will design a plan which addresses your specific situation. […]

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  • During your lifetime, your retirement account has asset protection, but as soon as you pass that account to a loved one, that protection can evaporate. This means one lawsuit and your life-long, hard-earned savings could be gone. Fortunately, there is […]

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  • A will or trust contest can derail your final wishes, rapidly deplete your estate, and tear your loved ones apart. But with proper planning, you can help your family avoid a potentially disastrous will or trust contest. If you are […]

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  • In 2016, there are still 19 U.S. jurisdictions that collect a death tax at the state level:  Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee […]

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  • Estate planning has truly evolved over the past 20 years. Gone is the uncertainty about federal estate taxes and the absolute requirement for married couples to use complex trusts to minimize these taxes. But also gone is planning for the […]

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  • Under current law the federal estate tax, gift tax, and generation-skipping transfer tax exemptions have become unified and are indexed for inflation on an annual basis.  Since 2011, the exemption and tax rate have changed as follows: Year    Exemption       Tax […]

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  • Did You Know We Just Ended the 2015 National Estate Planning Awareness Week? In 2008 the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC), in conjunction with Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) and 49 of his colleagues, helped pass a law […]

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  • Threshold Question. Whether life expectancy payout for issue is a desirable goal. If not, then payout is within 5 years, if before RBD (or if after RBD, then over participant’s life expectancy). If Life Expectancy Payout for Issue Is a Desirable […]

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  • Sole proprietorships and partnerships can be simple forms of conducting business. The owners make all of the decisions relating to the business and are taxed on business income and loss as individuals, with no taxation at the entity level, as […]

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