Navigating Divorce: How a Coach Can Transform Your Experience
Digital Planning Podcast Episode: Planning for Your Digital Legacy
RoboCop: Overview of Corporate Basics and Compliance Filings
Family Owned Real Estate: Managing Lack of Planning in Family Business Transitions
Family Owned Real Estate: Impacts of the Current Real Estate Market on Transition Planning
Family Owned Real Estate: Avoiding Pitfalls When Transitioning Family Real Estate
Family Owned Real Estate: Common Real Estate & Asset Management Issues
John Wick - What You Need To Know about the Corporate Transparency Act
Top Gun: Maverick - Core Estate Plan and Gifting Basics
5 Tips For Writing Conflict Emails
Family Owned Real Estate: Legal Challenges & Opportunities
Digital Planning Podcast Episode: Estate Planning and the Corporate Transparency Act
US Expatriate Tax Planning - Part 2 - A Podcast with Janathan Allen
Once Removed Episode 20: Helping a Beneficiary Purchase a Home
Once Removed Episode 23: Naming Guardians for Minor Children
Once Removed Episode 22: Building Flexibility into the Estate Plan
Once Removed Episode 24: Expressing Goals and Intent for the Trust
Once Removed Episode 21: Passing Down the “Family Cottage” or Other Legacy Property
US Expatriate Tax Planning - Part 1 - A Podcast with Janathan Allen
Once Removed Episode 19: The Step-Transaction Doctrine and the Case of Smaldino
As wealth management evolves, South African high-net-worth individuals ("HNWIs") are increasingly looking for efficient offshore structures to protect and grow their assets. One such option is "The Alphabet Trust" -...more
It is becoming increasingly commonplace for people to enter long-term romantic relationships without legally marrying. While there are no exact statistics on how many Americans fall into this growing category, a 2019 Pew...more
Domestic partnerships are legal arrangements between two individuals that grant some of the same rights and benefits as marriage. While domestic partnerships are recognized in many states, inheritance rights can differ...more
For federal estate and gift tax purposes, transfers are valued at the “fair market value” of the asset on the date of transfer. One of the more common estate tax audit issues is the failure to properly report the value of...more
You’ve signed your estate plan – congratulations! The most important step is complete. But the next most important step with respect to your estate planning is yet to come. That step is to review your plan as time passes....more
With certain Emirates in the UAE allowing property ownership for expats in the region, an increasing number of individuals are now buying properties and investing in other assets in the UAE. Consequently, it has become...more
On February 14, 2025, I will be speaking at the Suffolk Academy of Law’s annual Elder Law Update, addressing current developments in artificial intelligence (“AI”) that are relevant to trusts and estates practice, among other...more
A well-structured trust is often a central estate planning tool for small businesses and closely held family business owners when passing a business or wealth to your children. This includes heirs, beneficiaries, and future...more
In November of 2023, I did a post on this blog titled The Intersection of Family Law, Estate Law and Federal Law, regarding the reported Appellate Division case In the Matter of Michael D. Jones, Deceased. That case dealt...more
A well-organized inventory is essential for effectively managing and planning the distribution of collectibles, including art. Clients may struggle to track their assets without an inventory, making future distribution and...more
A five-year legal dispute between heirs of the renowned artist Thomas Hart Benton and the trust department that administered and managed the Benton Trust produced a significant ruling last month in Jackson County, Missouri...more
The IRS has released new inflation-adjusted figures that can impact your estate and gift planning. These numbers seem like a lot to sift through, but understanding them could make a big difference in your financial future....more
Looking for a way to stop family arguments over politics? Well, who isn’t. A quick way to derail a familial political scuffle: Quietly announce that you want to talk about your will. The silence should be automatic. It’s...more
Hey everybody – it’s January! How was your New Year’s Eve? How did you celebrate? Did you go to a party? Did you host a party? Were there games at your party? What kind of games? Charades? Jenga? Maybe you went crazy and...more
A Health Savings Account (HSA) can positively affect your estate plan. How? In addition to serving as a viable option to reduce health care costs, an HSA’s funds grow on a tax-deferred basis. In fact, an HSA is similar to a...more
You likely have created revocable or irrevocable trusts, or a few of both, in your estate plan. Ideally, these have been properly drafted with plenty of flexibility so that they can continue to meet your wealth planning goals...more
Typically, a parent wishes to treat their children equally in their estate plan and presumes they will achieve this goal by dividing all their assets into equal shares upon their death. Accordingly, they will designate their...more
Assume the deceased settlor of a trust had intended that his niece be included in the beneficiary class, but his estate-planning attorney had negligently made no provision for her in the governing instrument. After settlor’s...more
A recent decision of the Michigan Court of Appeals illustrates how the presumption of undue influence operates in a will contest when there is no eyewitness evidence of undue influence. In re Jones Estate, 2024 WL 5198621...more
As I cracked open a brand-new calendar for 2025, I couldn’t help but think what a pivotal moment this really is—we’re twenty-five years into what still feels to me like a new century, and I’m nearing fifty trips around the...more
Celebrity estate disputes often make for dramatic headlines, but the legal challenges they reveal can resonate far beyond the rich and famous. Join Whitney O’Reilly, chair of our Trust & Estates Group, for an insightful...more
Recent Maryland proposed budget cause for close estate planning review before the sunset of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This week, Maryland Governor Wes Moore released his proposed 2025 budget to the public and...more
When most people think of estate planning, Trusts and Last Wills and Testaments usually come to mind. I have spent my career espousing the essential tools for ensuring an efficient transfer of assets from one generation to...more
Art and collectibles, while beautiful and culturally significant, can pose significant estate planning challenges. At the time of death, these assets are subject to estate taxes based on their fair market value. Without...more
Unintended consequences often occur without proper estate planning. This is common when minor children receive an inheritance. Since minors cannot possess assets directly, the inheritance must be held on behalf of the minor...more