Once the initial emotional trauma is past and the couple starts working towards creating separation agreements, it's time to consider the day-to-day costs of living that change as the result of a divorce. The family economic unit that formerly had one mortgage or rent payment, one cable bill, one energy…
A jumbo sized battle in a high profile and seemingly never-ending estate matter highlights what may appear to be a minor detail in estate planning but what is in fact an important consideration: the executor fee. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, "Battle Involving Leona Helmsley Estate Spotlights…
Updating beneficiary designations is usually the simplest part of estate planning, but it's also the most likely part of estate planning to be overlooked. You have beneficiaries on pretty much every account, from 401(k)s to life insurance policies. Do you know who your beneficiaries are? USA Today says that it's…
Today’s millennials understand that their digital assets, which include everything from family movies hosted in the cloud, to social media accounts, digital currencies like Bitcoin and domain names, have value that can be passed to others when they die. One young man created a will that listed all of his…
The irrevocable charitable lead trust is a trust that cannot be amended, revised or cancelled. We would call that bullet-proof, and it would have been a good idea for preventing James Gandolfini's estate from being "whacked" by estate taxes. The financial website thestreet.com took a closer look at this powerful…
Long-standing American family traditions are changing with the times. The sled trips through snowy woods and icy rivers have given way to cross-country jet flights and international Skype visits. But regardless of the changes, when you all do sit down to a holiday meal, according to thestreet.com's "Estate Planning Over…
If you inherit a portfolio or a large amount of money, proceed with caution, according to "What to Do When You Get an Inheritance," in US News & World Report. Every situation is different, but a few basics need to be kept in mind for heirs who are thinking about…
In many cases, knowledge is power. But in estate planning, knowledge by itself can be a dangerous thing. You need to pair knowledge of the most common estate planning mistakes with another kind of knowledge: what to DO about those mistakes. And we would even add a third thing: knowing…
Perhaps the biggest reason to have an estate plan is to decide who will raise and care for your children if you and your spouse should both pass away. An experienced estate attorney who is knowledgeable about guardian ship laws in your state can help you make a plan, as…
Anytime a blended family includes children from prior marriages, estate planning becomes more challenging, as reported in The Meridian Star, in “Estate planning after a second marriage.” If there are young children, how can you ensure that the surviving spouse will take care of them? And what if you pass…