The Supreme Court of Montana recently ruled on a case that decided whether the Workers’ Compensation Court properly held that it lacked jurisdiction to consider an estate’s petition because the personal representative of the estate lacked standing. The court reversed and remanded the lower court’s decision to dismiss the representative’s…
On Dec. 12, 2014 the Internal Revenue Service issued Private Letter Ruling 201450003, in which it considered whether an estate is entitled to a charitable deduction under the federal tax code Section 2055(a) if a portion of a defective charitable remainder trust (CRT) was reformed to satisfy the statutory requirements…
Many experts in estate planning focus on the financial planning that must be done while going through a divorce. However, there are separate money matters to consider once the divorce is finalized. You will need to close the loop on any outstanding financial matters that result from the separation. The…
The first part of this article listed some of this year’s most notable celebrity deaths and the estate planning issues that arose as a result. This next part of the article is a continuation of lessons that can be learned by the estate planning problems of celebrities who passed away…
Factoring in retirement to an estate plan can be confusing, tiresome, and complex. In fact, this aspect is arguably the most difficult part of estate planning because you can never be positive about exactly how much money you will need in retirement. With the influx of new estate planning tools…
According to a report released by U.S. Trust, in the United States there are nearly 1.8 million households that have assets totaling $3 million or more. Many of these families will struggle with how to give their children an inheritance that provides for their needs while not giving them so…
James Brown’s life was full of life, music, and manic energy. It was also full of broken marriages, estranged children, tax liens, and legal problems related to drugs, guns, and domestic violence. However, James Brown’s estate was meant to be a mea culpa for his transgressions in life and to…
Joan Rivers’ estate continues to be a topic of interest as it has been recently discovered that she reduced her estate tax burden by claiming residence in one state while actually living in another. Ms. Rivers’ died in September at the age of 81, and she had a will on…
Recently, Apple and Facebook made the headlines when both companies announced that it is paying the expenses for its female employees to freeze their eggs. Most people do not assume that an announcement like this will affect their estate plan, but if you have a daughter or granddaughter you may…
Planning ahead and drafting an estate plan can reduce a lot of stress and worry in your life once you know that you family and loved ones are protected in your estate. The first part of this article began to list specific aspects besides determining the inheritance of your heirs…