The Risks of Bad Advice
Basics of Estate Planning
In a recent decision, the Court of Appeals of Virginia upheld a lower court’s ruling that Kositzka, Wicks and Company (KWC) breached its fiduciary duty to Edward Joseph Ryan, awarding his estate $999,050 in damages, attorney...more
Let’s work off of this premise: an estate planner’s job is to help a client pass their value and values to the following generations to the fullest extent possible, addressing as many of the obstacles in doing so as...more
Most US homeowners and business owners understand the importance of an estate plan; they just never seem to get around to completing the task. What do you need to know about a trust? Why are trusts a central component of any...more
Trusts are described in multiple ways, including: living or testamentary, revocable or irrevocable and grantor or non-grantor. These terms are not always mutually exclusive. A trust can be living, revocable and a grantor...more
Things change; a periodic review of your estate plan is an important part of plan maintenance. Your basic estate plan (will, trust, powers of attorney, etc.) can be amended whenever necessary. It’s important to consider your...more
Background - Recently, the Indiana Court of Appeals decided the case of Murphy, et al. v. Trustee of Star Financial Bank, et al. The case involved a woman named Janice who had executed a revocable living trust in 1990. ...more
In Freeman v. Fid. Brokerage Servs., LLC, the mother of the plaintiffs executed a living trust agreement. No 3:18-CV-0947-G, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 34694 (N.D. Tex. March 5, 2019)....more
Trusts are popular estate planning tools people use for a variety of reasons including providing for the long-term management of assets for minor beneficiaries, people with disabilities, or financially irresponsible adults....more
One of the questions I am often asked by clients is, “Should I transfer my automobiles to my revocable living trust?” I generally advise clients not to transfer their automobiles to their revocable living trust. The primary...more
The revocable living trust is often advertised as a “must have” part of your estate plan. While a revocable living trust may be useful in some situations, it is not an estate planning cure all. The following are issues to...more