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 22: Building Flexibility into the Estate Plan
Once Removed Episode 20: Helping a Beneficiary Purchase a Home
Once Removed Episode 19: The Step-Transaction Doctrine and the Case of Smaldino
Next Generation Legacy Management - The Essence of Developing, Managing and Implementing a Plan for Future Generations
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
Charitable Bequests With Guest Stephanie Hood
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
Basics of Estate Planning
The Case of the Disappearing Trust
Protecting Your Estate Plan from Challenges: No-Contest Clause Explained
The Secret Child
Welcome to 'Splitting Heirs'
Your family’s vacation home is more than just a property. It is where your family has created memories to cherish for generations. Deciding how to pass down such a meaningful asset can be an emotional decision, but it...more
August is “National Make-a-Will” Month, the perfect opportunity to seriously consider your estate plan. Many delay this crucial task due to common misconceptions about what an estate involves. Here, we delve deeper into what...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
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
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
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
SECURE 2.0 provides a boost to your retirement and estate plans - The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0) expands on the changes made by the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (SECURE Act)....more
One of the many reasons for executing a Will and Trust is to make your wishes clear and prevent animosity among family members or other beneficiaries after your death. However, there are circumstances in which it is clear to...more
Elvis Has Left the Building - In 1977, when Elvis Presley died (to put a complicated situation very simply), his estate and any future royalties generated by his intellectual property, including his music, passed into a...more
Funding long-term care expenses: What are your options? Few things can derail your estate plan as quickly as unanticipated long-term care (LTC) expenses. Most people will need some form of LTC — such as a nursing home or...more
Picture this: your great aunt has died and left you and your brother each one million dollars, her entire estate, in a will. Great, right? Now imagine that your brother never appreciated your great aunt during her lifetime,...more