Recent Blog Posts
Asset Protection Planning & Handling Debts in Estate Planning, Part II
Any plans for handling the debts of a decedent in estates requires very careful planning with an estate planning attorney, otherwise it is entirely possible that creditors or other sources of liability (such as plaintiffs in litigation) could end up significantly interfering with your inheritance plans for your family and loved ones. We’ve previously… Read More »
Should I Establish a Premarital Agreement Before My Florida Marriage?
There are a variety of reasons why couples decide to establish a Florida premarital agreement or prenuptial. After all, prenups are a way to confirm how assets and inheritance issues will be handled in the event there is a break in the union. A written contract, a prenup is a legal document that is… Read More »
Everything That Can Go Wrong with Third-Party Funded Special Needs Trusts
A recent question submitted to a newspaper publication concerning confusion over a trust that was established in New Jersey for a beneficiary that lives in Florida highlights just how important it is for those who want to set up a trust to work with an experienced estate planning attorney who asks the right questions… Read More »
Ways to Ensure That Your Estate Plan Is Flexible Enough to Handle Coming Change
There is no question that a crossroads is approaching estate planning, and you should start preparing for it now. In addition to the high probability of change coming to federal estate and gift taxes, whereby the exemption could be significantly reduced in the future, there are a number of other changes coming such that… Read More »
Estate Planning Alternatives to The Stretch IRA
As we previously discussed, the Secure Act eliminated the stretch IRA and replaced it with a 10-year payout for most non-spouse beneficiaries, including instances where a trust is named as the beneficiary, interfering with the ability for many to obtain the estate planning objectives they originally had in mind. However, there are other “tax-smart”… Read More »
Trust Ideas That Allow You to Be Proactive About Protecting Your Wealth… Before The Election
It is important to know that, with each change of political administration typically comes a change in the estate tax and the ceiling for estate tax exemptions. For example, prior to the 2016 presidential election, a significant number of people rushed to protect their assets by updating their estate planning documents because presidential hopeful… Read More »
One Wrong Word in Estate Planning Could Leave Family Member(s) Destitute: Why You Want to Coordinate with Your Attorney On Everything
As estate planning attorneys, one of the most common – but also dangerous – errors that we see people make involves beneficiary designations. Not necessarily understanding how inheritance works and the fact that accounts governed by these designations are separate from assets governed by a will, as well as how the law governs them… Read More »
Using Estate Planning to Save Significant Funds On College Tuition for Loved Ones
For many families, the rising costs of a college education can become daunting and overwhelming. However, what many do not realize is that estate planning can help to address these issues. One way of doing this is through a Section 529 Qualified Tuition Plan, which offers a number of savings and tax benefits over,… Read More »
When Your Beneficiaries May Need Protection from Themselves
We’ve previously discussed the most important mistakes to avoid when it comes to naming beneficiaries who will inherit various assets, such as your 401(k), IRA, life insurance policy, a trust, etc. While there are “special needs” beneficiaries in terms of those who must stay under or within a certain income and/or asset level in… Read More »
Why Estate Planning Is Crucial If You & Your Partner Are Pursuing IVF
As technological advances improve, and more and more couples wait to start a family, more also rely on assisted reproductive technology, such as IVF, to conceive. In fact, according to the US Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology, between 1987 and 2015, approximately one million children were born using assisted reproductive technology, indicating just how… Read More »