Section 17.3, comment f, of the Restatement (Third) of Property (Wills and Other Donative Transfers) explains the difference between a collateral power of appointment and a power of appointment in gross: “In traditional...more
In In re Kelly, a former executor and the trustee of a testamentary trust initiated a probate proceeding in a county court at law. No. 11-24-00066-CV, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 3735 (Tex. App.—Eastland May 30, 2024, original...more
When preparing your estate plan there are a number of things to consider including how to provide for your pets who are an important part of your life and ensuring that they are taken care of after your passing. There are a...more
Most US homeowners and business owners understand the importance of an estate plan; they just never seem to get around to completing the task. What do you need to know about a trust? Why are trusts a central component of any...more
In International Rescue Committee v. Trustee of the Wylie Street Emergency Fund, 537 P.3d 30 (2023), the Supreme Court of Idaho cited Black’s Law Dictionary (11th ed. 2019) as authority for the proposition that “a person can...more
Creating and adhering to an estate plan is no simple task. Generally, the end goal of estate planning is to divide up and transfer assets to loved ones at a minimum or zero tax cost. Of course, a will is a good starting...more
Many California trusts confer a lifetime right to income on a person (often the surviving spouse) with the remainder passing to designated survivors upon the income beneficiary’s death. When the income beneficiary dies, is it...more
A recent Arkansas Court of Appeals ruling indicates that courts may be unwilling to enforce arbitration provisions set forth in testamentary documents where a beneficiary challenges the validity of the document itself....more
California's statutory definition of "security" lists by name two types of trust certificates - collateral trust certificates and voting trust certificates. Cal. Corp. Code § 25109. Both of these certificates are also found...more
IRS Rules Appointment of Special Trustee and Special Trustee’s Subsequent Exercise of Power to Limit or Eliminate Trust Beneficiary’s Testamentary General Power of Appointment Will Not Constitute Exercise or Release for...more
Our first newsletter of the fall summarizes four recent cases of note, including a Massachusetts Appeals Court victory for clients of Goulston & Storrs who successfully defeated an action seeking to remove them as trustees....more
Exoneration clauses seek to excuse fiduciaries, most notably executors and trustees, from liability for the failure to exercise reasonable care (cf. Margaret Valentine Turano, Practice Commentary: EPTL § 11-1.7 [2008]...more
In Kohlhausen v. Baxendale, the court affirmed a summary judgment for a trustee on the basis of an exculpatory clause in a trust document. No. 01-15-00901-CV, 2018 Tex. App. LEXIS 1828 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] March 13,...more
Trusts are popular estate planning tools people use for a variety of reasons including providing for the long-term management of assets for minor beneficiaries, people with disabilities, or financially irresponsible adults....more
Dynasty trusts have nothing to do with the popular soap opera from the 1980s, but everything to do with leaving a lasting legacy. Although this type of trust is often created to reduce estate taxes, it can also provide other...more
In Lowell v. Talcott et al., Case No. 13-p-1053, 2014 Mass. App. LEXIS 98 (August 18, 2014), the Appeals Court considered whether a child born in the 1960s while her mother was married to a man who is not the child’s father...more