Choosing a Trustee: Navigating the Complexities and Key Considerations
Law School Toolbox Podcast Episode 509: Listen and Learn -- Third-Party Rights in Contracts (Part 2 - Beneficiaries)
Law School Toolbox Podcast Episode 508: Listen and Learn -- Third-Party Rights in Contracts (Part 1 - Rules)
Mamma Mia!: Common Estate Planning Issues for Blended Families
Once Removed Episode 38: The Legacy Mindset: What It Is and How to Build It
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
Once Removed Episode 22: Building Flexibility into the Estate Plan
Once Removed Episode 20: Helping a Beneficiary Purchase a Home
Life After Love Gone Wrong Podcast: Season 3, Episode 6 - Reshaping Your Legacy: Estate Planning After Your Divorce
Charitable Planning With Guest Stephanie Hood: Navigating Complex Rules and Traps for the Unwary
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
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
As an old song covered by the Beatles goes, “the best things in life are free, but you can’t keep em for the birds and bees, now give me money, that’s what I want.”...more
Roughly two-thirds of Americans are estimated to die without executing a valid will. As a result, assets in their name will pass under the laws of intestacy of their home state. The laws of intestacy are essentially default...more
Estate planning is a crucial process for anyone looking to protect their family and assets, but for families with a loved one who has special needs, it requires additional considerations. Without proper planning, a...more
Having a fantastic estate plan does not mean much if you do not take steps to implement and maintain it. Just like your car, your estate plan requires maintenance. We have a few tips to help you keep your estate plan up to...more
Many families are confident that they have made the necessary preparations to transition their wealth, businesses, foundation and family office to the next generation ... someday, when the time is right. We know that some...more
A recent California appellate case clarifies the application of the statute of limitations to trust amendments. In Smith v. Myers (2024) 103 Cal.App.5th 586, a dispute arose between the decedent’s children and his widow...more
Married couples often have wills naming one another as their primary beneficiary. People also often name their spouse as beneficiary of retirement accounts and life insurance policies. Upon commencing a divorce action,...more
The period after a spouse passes away is an emotional time of mourning. However, there are a handful of estate planning adjustments that you should make to protect your estate under the new conditions....more
As a bit of background, there is a distinction between probate assets and non-probate assets. Probate assets are distributed according to your will during a probate administration whereas non-probate assets are distributed...more
Many people fear the word probate, and it is not without reason. Probate can be a tedious, expensive and lengthy process, where you are at the whim of the court’s timeline. But what is probate? Probate is when you must...more
A new Minnesota law comes into effect on August 1, 2024, which flags the importance of addressing insurance coverage within your estate plan, especially if your plan utilizes transfer on death deeds. A transfer on death deed...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
Let's be honest. Legal documents are not written in anyone's love language. On Valentines Day, we undoubtedly would prefer to exchange thoughtful presents, enjoy an intimate meal with our significant other, or blush at the...more
One of the most common questions we hear from our clients is “do I need a revocable living trust?” While in some states a revocable living trust is a vital component of any estate plan due to those state’s probate laws,...more
Divorce can be a challenging and emotionally draining experience, leaving individuals with numerous legal and personal matters to resolve. Amidst all the turmoil, it is vital for people to understand the significance of...more
Mary Goodblood grew up believing that she was Cash Goodblood’s only daughter. Twenty-five years after he died, her dad’s brother Uncle Trusty sold the Goodblood family business for a tidy sum. After report of the lucrative...more
Back on July 26 we wrote about how trusts have become a new territory within the divorce landscape. At the time the press was just starting to write about California Senator Diane Feinstein’s troubles with the trust her...more
In this episode of “Splitting Heirs,” Warren K. Racusin, partner and Chair of Lowenstein’s Trusts & Estates practice, speaks with Sharon L. Klein, EVP, President - Family Wealth, Eastern U.S. Region & Head of National Divorce...more
I received a call recently from a colleague looking to refer a client for a divorce. Our firm had done estate planning for the client and spouse, thus we were not eligible to represent either party in a marital break up as...more
Transfer on Death (“TOD”), also known as Payable on Death (“POD”), account registrations are a popular way to avoid the requirement to pass assets through probate upon death and operate as an alternative to retitling assets...more
One of the most common questions we receive in our Estate Planning practice is “when do I need a personalized estate plan?” While there are many factors to consider, you will want a personalized estate plan when there is a...more
I am often asked about the difference between wills and revocable trusts, so I thought it important to explain the purpose of each. Wills and revocable trusts basically do the same thing – each is a document in which you...more
Benjamin Franklin once said that nothing is certain except for death and taxes. For many people, the awareness of the first certainty spurs them to make an estate plan, which necessitates several important decisions. In...more
In Mittelsted v. Meriwether, the decedent changed his will and beneficiary designations on bank accounts to leave everything to his half-brother. No. 14-21-00755-CV, 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 1020 (Tex. App.—Houston February 16,...more
When used in consultation with an estate planning attorney, transfer-on-death (TOD) or payable-on-death (POD) designations on financial accounts can be valuable estate planning tools. However, these account designations have...more