Estate Planning When Your First Child Turns 18

The sad truth that many of us have to accept is that our children are growing up not only in front of our eyes, but in the eyes of the state as well. Once eighteen, a child is considered a legal adult and is seen Read More …

Estate Planning Is Still Necessary Despite Recent Tax Cuts

Tax Cuts Don’t Cut the Need for Proper Estate Planning It is no secret that times are due to change. Just short of six months ago, President Donald Trump was vehemently calling for the elimination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) executive order, Read More …

Exploring the Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT)

Until Death Do Us Part: Exploring the Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT) What is a Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT)? The Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT) is an irrevocable trust that benefits the donor’s spouse and children. Through a SLAT, a donor may reduce a Read More …

Willing Doesn’t Make It So – The Limitations of a Will

A will is a legal document that one has drawn up prior to death that states how their assets will be allocated once they pass. This is an important step in one’s estate planning process because it can help ensure that their final wishes are Read More …

Same Old Assets, Fresh New Trust – Decanting Trusts

Like wine decanting, where the contents of a bottle are poured from one container to another, decanting a trust means that the contents of a trust are being transferred to a new trust, likely because the second one brings more advantages. Since by definition, an Read More …

Ghosted: Probate Courts Say Missing is not as Good as Dead

Missing is not as Good as Dead According to Probate Court, when dealing with one’s inheritance, missing does not mean dead. Handling the estate of someone who is missing or who is presumed dead can be a lengthy process. What to Expect When Handling the Read More …

Assets on Ice: Cryogenic Estate Planning

Dennis Kowalski, a husband and father of three, recently spent $140,000 to cryogenically preserve his entire family after they die, hoping to give them a chance at a second life. He is the president of the Cryonics Institute and a paramedic, and trusts that this Read More …

Breaking Down the Totten Trust

Since the New York Court of Appeals first established the legality of Totten trust in 1904’s Matter of Totten, the use of Totten trusts as a valid estate planning tool has spread throughout the nation. Nevertheless, when questioned, few can discern between a Totten trust Read More …

Don’t Let Divorce Distract You From Important Estate Planning Considerations

Although life would be much simpler if it stayed the same for long periods of time, the truth is that it is constantly changing. People come into your life unexpectedly and exit just as frequently. Regarding estate planning, or preparing the transfer of wealth to Read More …