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For most families, the idea of being out of touch with a sibling for decades is unusual. Even more unusual would be learning that an estranged sibling had passed away six years ago and no one in the family knew. Stranger still – learning that your brother had left you two bank accounts worth $81,000. […]
Congratulations – you have an estate plan! Now it’s time to turn your attention to ensuring that these important documents are safe and that they can be located when they are needed. Here are some tips on how to accomplish both of these important tasks. If you have become incapacitated or pass away and no […]
Estate planning involves far more than a will to transfer assets after death, and is not just for the wealthy. If you have a family and property of any kind, you need an estate plan. Every individual and every family has different needs when it comes to creating an estate plan. There is no one-size-fits-all […]
For nearly two decades, celebrity tabloids and the estate planning bar have had a shared interest in the long-running litigation between Anna Nicole Smith’s estate and the estate of J. Howard Marshall II. A recent decision may bring the battle to a close – or it may simply be on pause. It is sad that […]
Perhaps having attained success that leads to wealth makes wealthy people think that they are not going to make any mistakes in estate planning. Unfortunately, the wealthy are just as likely as the rest of us to make mistakes. Most wealthy people hear about the expensive mistakes that their peers make and think they’ll never […]
We’ve all heard the stories of family farmers and mom-and-pop stores who make for great news interviews when it comes to opposing the estate tax. But a report suggests that the real force behind estate tax repeal may be a group of ultra-wealth billionaires who stand to gain far more than any small family business […]
With the changes in the tax law, most estates today are not required to pay federal estate taxes and that also means there is no need to file the estate tax forms. For many who fall below the threshold, it doesn’t make sense to pay a professional to file the estate tax forms. There are, […]
Many banks and financial services companies offer a variety of services related to creating and managing trusts. When large trusts are established for minor children, it is necessary to use a professional trustee, but there are no guarantees that the professional trustee will carry out their fiduciary duties appropriately. Tragically, seven year old Angela Militello […]
When two women both claimed a child as their own, the dispute was brought before King Solomon. His edit was terrifying to hear, but had logic and a bit of psychology behind it: he ordered the baby to be cut in half to see how the women would react. The real mother would of course choose […]
As a result of a German law that makes any heirs liable for any debts, no one is making any claims on the estate of the German co-pilot who is alleged to have crashed a passenger plane into the Alps. The estate of Andreas Lubitz has filed for bankruptcy. Lubitz was the German co-pilot now […]
