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Estate Planning › Life Insurance

Estate Planning is a process where individuals prepare or plan for the settlement of their personal affairs in the event of incapacitation or death. Estate plans typically include provisions relating to the... more +
Estate Planning is a process where individuals prepare or plan for the settlement of their personal affairs in the event of incapacitation or death. Estate plans typically include provisions relating to the disposition of assets, guardianship of minor children, and appointment of representatives to make medical and financial decisions. Effective estate planning can decrease tax liability and facilitate the probate process.  less -
Dickinson Wright

The Hazards of Not Changing Beneficiaries Post-Divorce

Dickinson Wright on

A recent case by the Tennessee Court of Appeals highlights the importance of changing one’s insurance and retirement policy beneficiaries after divorce. This is true no matter what the divorce documents say and no matter what...more

Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC

Securing Your Legacy: Essential Estate and Succession Planning for Family Life Insurance Businesses

Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC on

Experienced trusts and estates attorneys consistently observe how proper planning can mean the difference between a thriving legacy and a fragmented enterprise. For family-owned life insurance businesses, the stakes are...more

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt PC

Coordination Can Be Key in Corporate Governance and Estate Planning

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt PC on

Corporate lawyers and estate planning lawyers both play key, but different, roles in the success of business clients. Corporate attorneys typically help businesses choose the proper legal structure, navigate the complexities...more

Offit Kurman

Unintended Inheritance Happens More Than You Think: Ensuring Your Loved Ones Inherit as Intended

Offit Kurman on

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

Mandelbaum Barrett PC

The High Cost of Delay: Why Ultra-High-Net-Worth Families Must Act Now on Estate and Asset Protection

Mandelbaum Barrett PC on

For ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) whose estates far exceed the 2025 federal lifetime exemption of $13.99 million per person, the stakes for estate and asset protection planning have never been higher-or more...more

Mandelbaum Barrett PC

Special Needs Planning 101: 10 Ways to Safeguard Your Loved One’s Future

Mandelbaum Barrett PC on

Careful planning for a loved one with disabilities is one of the most important and compassionate acts you can take as a parent or caregiver. It’s not just about securing their financial future, it’s about preserving their...more

Offit Kurman

Why You Need to Update Your Estate Planning After a Divorce

Offit Kurman on

Divorce is a major life change that affects far more than just your relationship status. One crucial—but often overlooked—aspect that needs immediate attention after a divorce is your estate plan. Failing to update your...more

Jaburg Wilk

Protect Your Assets: The Importance of Adequate Insurance in Estate Planning

Jaburg Wilk on

When it comes to estate planning, ensuring your assets are well-protected should be a top priority. Insurance is a crucial component that many overlook, but it can be the key to securing your legacy. Here’s why sufficient...more

Gerald Nowotny - Law Office of Gerald R....

To Be or Not to Be Contemplating the Meaning of Life Through Private Placement Life Insurance

Gerald Nowotny - Law Office of Gerald R.... on

The focus of this article illustrates why private placement life insurance (“PPLI”) is the best asset to utilize in the “Buy, Borrow and Die” strategy for high net worth investors including billionaires. After this article,...more

Warner Norcross + Judd

Hot Topics for Private Clients and Family Offices from the 2025 Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning – Part Two

Warner Norcross + Judd on

In our previous blog post on the 2025 Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, we highlighted the concept of purpose trusts, a conference topic involving unique planning and charitable opportunities. In this second post of...more

Gerald Nowotny - Law Office of Gerald R....

Pra Dizer Adeus (To Say Goodbye) – A Homage to Sergio Mendes and a Little Bit About Tax Planning for PPLI for Trial Lawyers

Gerald Nowotny - Law Office of Gerald R.... on

Litigation attorneys have had the ability to defer contingency fees since 1994. You are hard pressed to find another profession that has this tax advantage. Hedge fund managers have been running and winning the “Death Race”...more

Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC

Another Attack on Private Placement Life Insurance

Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC on

The use of private placement life insurance (PPLI) by high-net-worth individuals has generated considerable controversy over the years, with proponents arguing that it is a proper use of existing laws that provide many of the...more

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt PC

Estate Planning for Physicians: Why It’s Important and How to Get Started

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt PC on

When you’re a physician, your life is defined by long hours, major responsibilities, and a focus on the health and well-being of your patients. Though dedication to your practice is commendable, planning for the future is...more

Allen Barron, Inc.

Trust and Estate Planning for Business Owners

Allen Barron, Inc. on

Why is the end of the year a good time to consider trust and estate planning for business owners? Do you own real property or have other investments outside your business interests? Have you given any thought to what would...more

Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP

Privacy Protection in Estate Planning: The ABCs of Maximizing Confidentiality

Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP on

Is anything private anymore? We live in a digital age where information is quick and abundant. While this is helpful in many circumstances, it may seem most concerning when it comes to your estate plan. Your estate plan...more

Cole Schotz

Death, Taxes and Shareholder Agreements: Lessons from the Connelly Case

Cole Schotz on

Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Connelly v. United States, that the valuation of a decedent’s shares in a closely held corporation for federal estate tax purposes must include insurance proceeds received...more

White and Williams LLP

The 12 Days of Year-End Estate Planning

White and Williams LLP on

As the end of 2024 draws near, it’s a great time to review your finances and prepare for a prosperous new year. Whether you’re cozying up by the fire or decorating with family, a little year-end financial planning can help...more

Ward and Smith, P.A.

Securing Your Legacy: How Marital Estate Rights and Divorce Impact Your Estate Plan

Ward and Smith, P.A. on

Marital estate rights create the potential for catastrophic consequences should a spouse pass away at a time when the parties are physically separated but have not yet signed a separation agreement or been granted a divorce....more

Fleurinord Law PLLC

Golden Divorce & Estate Planning: Why Updating Your Beneficiaries is Essential

Fleurinord Law PLLC on

The term "gray divorce" is commonly used to describe later-life separations, but "golden divorce" might be a more fitting term, suggesting optimism and new beginnings. This concept reminds me of the beloved 1980s sitcom The...more

Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC

What Connelly v. United States Means for Closely-Held Businesses

Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC on

The US Supreme Court recently issued a significant decision, impacting many closely-held businesses with buy-sell agreements funded by life insurance policies, Connelly v. United States, 144 S. Ct. 1406 (2024). In a 9-0...more

Rivkin Radler LLP

Owners of Closely Held Businesses: Time to check your buy-sell agreement

Rivkin Radler LLP on

Most closely held businesses, whether organized as a C or S corporation, LLC or partnership, have (or should have) a buy-sell agreement. A buy-sell agreement addresses what happens to an owner’s interest in the business when...more

Blank Rome LLP

Supreme Court Issues Ruling Affecting Valuation of Closely Held Corporations Employing Life-Insurance-Funded Redemption-Type...

Blank Rome LLP on

Improperly structured buy-sell agreements for closely held businesses will lead to an unexpected increase in the estate tax imposed on the estate of the deceased owner. The Supreme Court decision emphasizes the need for a...more

Kilpatrick

Estate Planning Considerations Post Connelly v. United States

Kilpatrick on

On June 6, 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a unanimous decision in Connelly v. United States and found that life-insurance proceeds payable to a closely held business for the purpose of funding a share...more

Bowditch & Dewey

Remember to Adjust Your Estate Plan During or After a Divorce

Bowditch & Dewey on

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

Husch Blackwell LLP

Unanimous Supreme Court Determines Company-Owned Life Insurance Increases Fair Market Value

Husch Blackwell LLP on

On June 6, 2024, the Supreme Court held 9-to-0 in Connelly v. United States that company-owned life insurance increases the company’s fair market value for estate tax purposes, and the company’s obligation to redeem a...more

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