Most Americans will tell you that they are not opposed to paying their fair share of taxes. However, the word “fair” is the key to the debate, and when it comes to the estate tax many people have a hard time wrapping their heads around it. We have passed along the news about the reduction … [Read More]
Estate Planning And Sunset Of Tax Act
2010 was a very interesting year for people who are involved in the field of estate planning due to the uncertainty that existed with regard to the estate tax parameters. The estate tax was repealed for 2010, but when it was last effect in 2009 the top rate of the tax was 45% and the … [Read More]
What Is A Durable Power Of Attorney?
In estate planning circles people sometimes throw around terminology without explaining it thoroughly because they are so used to these terms they become second nature. Yet, the layman may or may not know what is being referred to, so we endeavor to explain some of the core terms that are commonly utilized in the parlance … [Read More]
A Look At Charitable Remainder Trusts
When you are considering the manner in which you would like your assets to be distributed after your death you may decide that charitable giving is part of the plan. Doing what you can to help those less fortunate than you is always meaningful, but it takes on an added significance as your twilight years … [Read More]
Alzheimer’s & Incapacity Planning
As elder law specialists we keep our fingers on the pulse of all trends that affect our nations senior citizens. They say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and when it comes to preparing for all of the eventualities of aging this adage is especially poignant. Planning for possible scenarios … [Read More]
Estate Planning With Purpose
In a general sense the role of your estate planning attorney is to assist you as you arrange your assets in preparation for distribution to your heirs after your death. But of course we don’t work in a vacuum and we understand that there is an element to your legacy that transcends dollars and cents, … [Read More]
Exclusion Portability Has Arrived In 2011
The new tax bill that was signed into law by the president on December 17th has brought some exciting new changes along with it. That is, exciting for the estate planning community, but perhaps not so much so for the IRS. To recap the headline news, the estate tax, which had been repealed for the … [Read More]
How To Choose An Estate Planning Attorney
Your estate planning attorney is going to be advising you with regard to some very important financial decisions, so you clearly want to be certain that you choose the right lawyer. But how do you go about it? Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are searching for legal assistance. Seek … [Read More]
New Year Calls For Estate Plan Review
We like to remind our clients that estate planning is not a one-time action–it is an ongoing process. Naturally, as time goes on things are going to change, and these changes will be quite significant in many cases. Some of them are personal and things that happen to you, like family additions and subtractions, changes … [Read More]
Tax Bill Passes; Estate Tax Reduced
The return of the estate tax in 2011 has been a hot topic among estate planning attorneys throughout 2010, and to understand the matter you need to absorb some background information. Due to a provision in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (commonly referred to as the “Bush tax cuts”) the … [Read More]
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