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
Digital Planning Podcast Episode: Planning for Influencers
A Primer On Trusts - A Podcast with Janathan Allen
Once Removed Episode 12: SLATs and the Case of McKim vs. McKim
Once Removed Episode 11: Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts, or SLATs
Once Removed Episode 10: Trustee Removal and Case Update on Leo Kahn Revocable Trust
Nonprofit Basics: Meeting Minutes Best Practices
Nonprofit Basics: Conflict of Interest Policies and Best Practices for Approving Insider Compensation
The Case of the Disappearing Trust
Protecting Your Estate Plan from Challenges: No-Contest Clause Explained
Estate Planning 101: The Five Most Important Clauses for Wills and Trusts
Law Brief: Alexis Gruttadauria and Rich Schoenstein Discuss Why You Need an Estate Plan
THE PAPER CHASE
Investment Management Update – Exit Strategies
Bill on Bankruptcy: US Airways Need a Merger More than AMR
Bill on Bankruptcy: Supreme Court Cases Will Have Wide Impact
Bill on Bankruptcy: Trustees Sleep Easy after High Court Ruling
Bill on Bankruptcy: ResCap Report, a Bargain at $83 Million
In Bass v. Bogle, settlors, husband and wife, created a trust that owned the majority interest in a closely-held business, and they had two children. No. 03-23-00319-CV, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 5034 (Tex. App.—Austin July 18,...more
Because so many things can change with time, we recommend that our clients review their estate plans every three to five years and update plans as needed. These periodic reviews help to ensure that your affairs are in order,...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
In most cases seeking recognition of a foreign bankruptcy proceeding in the United States under chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code, the foreign debtor's "foreign representative" has been appointed by the foreign court or...more
Senator Diane Feinstein is the oldest member of Congress. She has faced some serious health problems in the past year which caused her absence from the Senate for a number of months. There are reports that she gave her...more
This week, we heard about yet another conservatorship that may have been improper or involved misconduct: that of Michael Oher, the former NFL player. I take no position on the truth of the matter, that is what the discovery...more
There may come a point in life when you – or a loved one –need a trusted family member, friend, or professional to assist with your property and financial affairs and decision-making. Since that point may come when you are...more
In In re Guardianship of Margol, a mother named her son as her power of attorney agent and as a trustee of a trust in which she was a beneficiary. No. 05-21-00255-CV, 2022 Tex. App. LEXIS 4119 (Tex. App.—Dallas June 16, 2022,...more
FINRA recently highlighted Rule 3241 in the 2023 Regulatory Element Learning Plan. Rule 3241 became effective in early February 2021 and prohibits a registered person from being named as a beneficiary, executor, or...more
There may come a time in your life when you are in need of a fiduciary. A fiduciary relationship is deemed to exist when one party is bound to act for the benefit of another party. You may have the opportunity to choose your...more
Congress instituted National Estate Planning Awareness week in 2008 to help Americans understand estate planning and its role in a person’s financial well-being. It’s a great reminder to organize, review and update your...more
Picture this: your beloved grandfather hands out cash gifts to his three grandchildren every year on their birthdays. Each grandchild receives $100 every year like clockwork. Then, one year, your grandfather gives your cousin...more
There are many factors to consider when planning your estate in the event of your incapacitation or death. While discussions regarding traditional assets are crucial in the planning process, other factors should also be taken...more
On February 9, FINRA published its 2022 Report on FINRA’s Examination and Risk Management Program (2022 Report), an authoritative resource for member firms to evaluate and, where necessary, enhance their compliance programs...more
This newsletter is intended to keep readers informed about developments in probate and fiduciary litigation in Massachusetts and New York. Intentional Interference and Unjust Enrichment Claims in Connection with a Trust...more
Daughter with Power of Attorney Had Burden to Show No Undue Influence over Father - Coscia v. Sweezey, 2021 WL 4765696 (Mass App. Ct. October 13, 2021) - Does holding a power of attorney from a parent in declining...more
In In the Estate of Johnson, an applicant to be an independent administrator appealed a court’s decision to not appoint him due to his being unsuitable. No. 02-20-00133-CV, 2021 Tex. App. LEXIS 7138 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth...more
In Moore v. Estate of Moore, a decedent’s wife claimed that she had an interest in an oil and gas lease formerly owned by her deceased husband. No. 07-20-00019-CV, 2021 Tex. App. LEXIS 6142 (Tex. App.—Amarillo July 30, 2021,...more
As trusts and estates litigation counsel, we often have matters where a fiduciary, either as a trustee, conservator, personal representative, or agent under a power of attorney, fails to provide financial information when...more
On July 23, 2020, Governor Wolf signed Act 72 of 2020, the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (Act 72). Developed by the Uniform Law Commission, Act 72 provides fiduciaries, such as executors, guardians,...more
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has announced that it has adopted a rule to limit a registered person from being named a customer’s beneficiary, executor, or trustee or from holding a power of attorney or...more
Estate planning is a team effort and the lineup of individuals and professionals that you choose for your team roster will determine the integrity of your plan for years to come. An all-star lineup for your estate plan should...more
After creating and implementing a plan for your estate, it is important to regularly revisit your plan to ensure that it is still reflective of your values and goals for passing along your legacy. Seemingly small changes in...more
Intentional interference with expected inheritance (IIEI) was recognized as a legal claim in California about eight years ago in Beckwith v. Dahl (2012) 205 Cal.App.4th 1039. Last week, the Court of Appeal issued the first...more
“The only thing that stays the same is everything changes.” I can hear Tracy Lawrence singing that in my head just as clear as when I first heard it in 1996. I didn’t quite understand it back then, but I do now. Change is a...more