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
Key Takeaways - 1. The Act permanently extends the doubled gift, estate, and generation-skipping tax exclusion amount to $15 million per individual and $30 million per married couple, indexed for inflation. 2. The Act...more
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” into law (2025 Act), which made permanent a number of important tax provisions that were set to expire on January 1, 2026. From an estate planning...more
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) made changes to the way drugs are covered and reimbursed in Medicare. It has been anticipated that this could result in more restrictive formularies in drug plans or higher co-pays for...more
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA). The OBBA established a new type of tax-advantaged savings account for minors, known as “Trump Accounts.” While the specific details of...more
The July 2025 Section 7520 rate for use with estate planning techniques such as CRTs, CLTs, QPRTs and GRATs is 5.00%, which is the same as the June 2025 Section 7520 rate...more
In June 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a budget reconciliation bill titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The legislation proposes a number of administrative changes to existing federal health...more
On June 10, 2025, the New York State Grieving Families Act got a (fourth) chance to be signed by Governor Hochul. She refused to sign prior iterations of the legislation, citing stress on New York’s business community and the...more
Now that Pennsylvania recognizes directed trusts, corporate fiduciaries should be aware that sharing trust responsibilities could create both legal liability and administrative burdens. The law, which went into effect late...more
Before shifting my practice from estate planning to estate litigation, I witnessed up close the challenges and frustrations associated with the California probate process. That has changed for many Californians. Assembly Bill...more
Not all trusts age like fine wine. Family situations change, tax laws are updated, and an irrevocable trust created years ago may no longer be ideal for today’s circumstances. ...more
In South Carolina, there's a new law that lets you add a "Transfer on Death" (TOD) designation to the title of personal property like cars, boats, or mobile homes. This means you can name someone to automatically receive the...more
A new law was recently passed in Florida that will allow a grantor spouse of a Spousal Limited Access Trust (SLAT) to be added as a beneficiary of the SLAT following the death of the beneficiary spouse. Please see below for a...more
What is the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act? The Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act would establish a two-year extension for certain COVID-19 emergency telehealth waivers. The legislation aims to extend the...more
We have previously reported on New Jersey’s effort to enact legislation prohibiting stranger-originated life insurance (STOLI) and the New Jersey case law leading up to that legislation. See June 2019, December 2019, and...more
The election is only weeks away, and with it is likely to come significant changes to the tax code. Many economists anticipate that, regardless of the outcome, there will likely be tax increases to reduce the federal deficit,...more
The current year sees us coming off a good year in the stock market and an economy that is strong. However, in November there is another presidential election cycle, which could bring change to which political party controls...more
As many of you may know, Cozen O’Connor was victorious last year in obtaining a ruling by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Sun Life Assurance Company v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 238 N.J. 157 (2019) (Bergman) that...more
Both workers and retirees may need to rethink some of their estate planning in light of the newest spending bill. The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, part of the massive bill, makes major...more
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (or SECURE Act), signed into law on December 20, 2019, changes retirement planning significantly and unexpectedly. The bulk of the changes become effective as of...more
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (the SECURE Act) was enacted on December 20, 2019, as part of a major appropriations bill. The SECURE Act is intended to make it easier for a broad range of...more
The federal appropriations bill enacted into law on December 20, 2019 changed federal law in ways that may affect your retirement assets, including 401(k) plans and IRAs. Those changes, often referred to as the “SECURE Act,”...more
On December 20, 2019, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act (the“Act”) was signed into law drastically altering the administration of certain retirement plans such as IRAs and 401Ks. Although...more
On July 12, Governor Pritzker signed into law the new Illinois Trust Code (ITC), which is effective January 1, 2020...more
On December 17, 2019, the US House of Representatives approved an appropriations bill, which includes the SECURE Act previously passed in the House. President Trump is expected to sign it once it reaches his desk. The...more
Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Congress is now offering a new 20% deduction for “pass-through” businesses – i.e. businesses that are not corporations. With the corporate tax rate being reduced under the new law to a flat...more