No matter what steps you take or what laws are eventually passed, managing a digital estate for a loved one will always be a long, arduous, and painful process. Digital estate planning is popping up in the news more and more as people are trying to figure out how to…
Family limited partnerships seem like an almost foolproof idea: A client can shield just about any amount of money from creditors while maintaining full control of the assets, and getting tax advantages to boot. But they’re not for everyone, and there can be serious pitfalls to an FLP that is…
After graduating from college, and even law school, the thought of drafting your estate plan probably did not make the top twenty on your "to-do" list, and why should it? The only thing most young professionals have when they first start out is debt. However, after you land your first…
Three years and two trials later, the will remains the subject of a fierce probate fight in Sacramento Superior Court. Lawyers for the stepson and O’Brien’s brother have challenged the will as a fraud. They contend O’Brien didn’t have the mental capacity to amend the original trust. Waiting until you are on…
Today’s low interest rates create special problems for those focused on income, including retirees and the income beneficiaries of trusts. Prolonged periods of low interest rates can result in low trust income, creating conflict among beneficiaries. Many trusts are set up in a way that creates two different groups of…
"Many have not taken adequate steps to review and update these plans since the moment they were signed. Meanwhile, major life events such as marriage, the birth of a child or the launch of a business may have occurred." Estate plans are not a one-shot deal. They are like a…
Planning for control of your personal information after you die used to be as simple as telling someone about the desk drawer or the fireproof box or the safe deposit box at the local bank. But in the era of smartphones and cloud computing services, that same stuff may be…
Who knew a “Walk on the Wild Side” could pay off so handsomely? Late rock legend Lou Reed left behind a $30 million fortune, The Post has learned. $20 million-plus in “money and other property” doesn’t include the approximately $10 million in gifts Reed left to his wife, sister and mother…
New studies are providing more current cost estimates. “What we found was shocking,” Mandell said. “This is a huge hit on families.” The costs to care for a child with special needs is on the rise, as reported in a new study in the medical journal JAMA Pediatric. The study…
Over the past few years pieces have not been selling as well as expected or not selling at all. Often the amount they are appraised for, and thus the amount the IRS views them as valuing, is not close to the amount that they garner at auction. Have you ever…