Once Removed Episode 13: It’s 5 o’Clock: Do You Know Where Your Will Is? A Lesson From Aretha Franklin
The Case of the Laughing Heirs
The Secret Child
Welcome to 'Splitting Heirs'
Ruder Ware's Elder Law Team Recognizes National Special Needs Law Month - Part 2
Law Brief: Alexis Gruttadauria and Rich Schoenstein Discuss Why You Need an Estate Plan
Inheritance Data - Digital Planning Podcast
For many individuals new to estate planning, particularly younger couples, there is something almost taboo when you start to discuss a revocable trust: does that mean our children will be trust fund babies?...more
Are you considering remarriage? Do you and/or your spouse have children from a previous marriage? If so, remarriage and a blended family are excellent reasons for a new or updated estate plan. Blended families are quickly...more
HBO’s The Gilded Age dramatizes the privileged lives of some of America’s wealthiest families in late 19th century New York City. In U.S. history, the Gilded Age covers the 1870s to the late 1890s. Rapid economic growth...more
Sharing is caring - How much should you tell your loved ones about your estate plan? After you’ve created your estate plan, it’s important to consider how much information you should disclose to your loved ones about...more
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
When someone passes away, their family members are often left responsible for handling the decedent’s property – both real and intangible. Many difficulties come with handling the decedent’s intangible property, such as bank...more
Ask anyone how they would define “trusts and estates law” and the odds are the answer will uniformly focus on the act of making the plan as to who will receive a person’s assets when he or she dies....more
When our horses die before we do, some say we will see them again on the "rainbow bridge." But what comes of our horses if we die first? Who will take care of them when we cannot? Where will they live, and what funds will...more
Individuals are often interested in ways to transfer their assets at death without having those assets go through a probate proceeding. Those same individuals are also often interested in accomplishing this without having to...more
While many think that crafting an estate plan like a will or a trust is a relatively straightforward matter, numerous considerations go into making an effective estate plan to provide for your loved ones....more
With the exciting and long overdue news of the increase in the Massachusetts estate tax exemption from $1 million to $2 million for decedents dying on or after January 1, 2023, many Massachusetts residents have been left...more
The aging population is expected to transfer $30 trillion in the coming years, per Forbes. According to the Survey of Consumer Finances, the median inheritance is $69,000; the median for trust fund wealth transfers is...more
When considering an estate plan, clients who own firearms should remember that very often, their firearms require special consideration and planning, particularly given the intricacies of federal, state, and local gun laws...more
Many people default to nominating a spouse or a child as personal representative of their estate or trustee of their trust, if they have one. However, when one has neither a spouse nor a child, who should one choose to fill...more
Any estate planning professional will tell you everyone should have an estate plan. But we also understand that the whole process can feel a bit daunting—finding an estate planning attorney, getting organized, making...more
If you had to say where your will is located right now, could you? Despite the importance of that document, many clients are not sure where the original is located. In this episode, Steve discusses the case of Aretha...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
There are a few standard questions I almost always get when people find out that I work in probate litigation. “Do people call you right away when their relatives die?” “Isn’t that tough to deal with, emotionally?” And most...more
All too often, the demise of a celebrity serves as a cautionary reminder of the many pitfalls and traps related to estate planning. In January of 2020, NBA superstar Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna tragically passed away...more
Join Robert F. Morris, Esq. to discuss some important topics such as: - What issues can impact your family and estate plan? - What planning opportunities are available to protect your intent? - What estate,...more
Estate planning involves managing the division and inheritance of an individual’s assets, which comprise their estate. A trusts and estates attorney deals with the protection of a client’s assets during their lifetime and the...more
People often assume that if their estate isn’t taxable, they don’t need to have an estate plan. In 2023, a Massachusetts estate tax return must be filed if the value of the deceased person’s gross estate exceeds $1 million. A...more
The days and weeks immediately following the passing of a loved one can be extremely stressful and emotional. Arrangements must be made, and paperwork comes flooding in, all while you are coping with the loss and grief. This...more
In this episode of “Splitting Heirs” host Warren K. Racusin of Lowenstein’s Trusts & Estates practice is joined by Jeffrey J. Wild, Lowenstein partner and litigator whose practice focuses on fiduciary issues; the Honorable...more