John Wick - What You Need To Know about the Corporate Transparency Act
Once Removed Episode 24: Expressing Goals and Intent for the Trust
Once Removed Episode 23: Naming Guardians for Minor Children
Once Removed Episode 22: Building Flexibility into the Estate Plan
Once Removed Episode 20: Helping a Beneficiary Purchase a Home
Life After Love Gone Wrong Podcast: Season 3, Episode 6 - Reshaping Your Legacy: Estate Planning After Your Divorce
Charitable Planning With Guest Stephanie Hood: Navigating Complex Rules and Traps for the Unwary
A Primer On Trusts - A Podcast with Janathan Allen
Once Removed Episode 13: It’s 5 o’Clock: Do You Know Where Your Will Is? A Lesson From Aretha Franklin
Once Removed Episode 12: SLATs and the Case of McKim vs. McKim
Once Removed Episode 11: Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts, or SLATs
Digital Planning Podcast Episode: Family Office Technology Solutions
Digital Planning Podcast Episode: The Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act
What is a self-proving affidavit?
The Importance of Beneficiary Designations
Taking the Sting Out of Death Taxes with Dylan Metzner, Jones & Keller
Basics of Estate Planning
The Case of the Disappearing Trust
Protecting Your Estate Plan from Challenges: No-Contest Clause Explained
The Secret Child
Today on “Splitting Heirs,” host Warren Racusin speaks with Molefi McIntosh and Mavis Gragg about the “heirs’ property problem--” or what happens to real estate when it is passed down within families without benefit of a...more
I received a call recently from a colleague looking to refer a client for a divorce. Our firm had done estate planning for the client and spouse, thus we were not eligible to represent either party in a marital break up as...more
If you’re preparing to get remarried, your estate plan likely isn’t top of mind. However, depending on the state you live in, your spouse has property rights that apply regardless of the terms of your estate plan. These...more
As an attorney who prepares comprehensive estate plans and administers wills and trusts after death, I see questions arise at all phases as to who beneficiaries of accounts are and who they should be in a comprehensive estate...more
WHAT IS CRYPTOCURRENCY? Cryptocurrency is a digital asset that is created and traded online. Miners (computer operators) establish new units of digital currency and record them on a blockchain, a string of verified public...more
Wills: An estate planner and a Shakespearean scholar talk about the right way—and the many wrong ways—to design your will. Speakers: Warren Racusin, Chair, Trusts & Estates Bridget Harris, Counsel, Trusts & Estates Mary...more
The death of a loved one should be a time for a family to come together. As a trust and estate litigator, unfortunately, I often see families fall apart. Every family's situation is different, but certain issues seem to...more
“Probate” is a legal term for the Court process of transferring assets out of a deceased person’s name and to that person’s heirs and/or beneficiaries. The difference between the term “heir” and the term “beneficiary” is...more
My name is Attorney Jessica Merkel. As we shared earlier this month, October is Special Needs Law Month. Since this is part two of our two-part series, we wanted to recap that in our first part we shared with you some...more
Last Sunday I learned that my mother’s dear friend who is very active, hikes daily, gardens daily, does senior yoga weekly, eats a healthy diet, and has many volunteer and social commitments that keep her happy, went on a...more
What is one of the things that kids from a first marriage worry about when their parent re-marries? The “evil” step-parent getting it all, of course. Many parents struggle with the problem of alleviating the fears of their...more
While the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (the “SECURE Act”) has not yet been enacted, there are many who anticipate that it will be enacted by year end, primarily because it passed the House...more
People often ask “Why do I need a trust?” Some folks think they can get by with a simple will. Here is why you probably need more than that...more
There are lots of “do-it-yourself” Will programs floating around on the internet. You may be able to save legal fees by drafting your own Will – at least up front; but in the long run, the cost usually comes after you die...more
In some will contests, lawyers will speculate that the decedent may have misled people as to his true estate plan, either out of weakness, to keep the peace, to measure reactions, to avoid uncomfortable conversations, and...more
So you have an estate plan? Good for you. You funded it? Even better. But have you updated it and your will in the last year? If you haven’t, your loved ones or favorite charities may be in for an unpleasant surprise. Your...more