Estate Planning

When you inherit property, such as a house or stocks, the property is usually worth more than it was when the original owner purchased it. If you sell, capital gains tax applies based on current market value.

The last thing anyone wants after the death of a family member is calls from debt collectors dunning the loved one's estate.

The Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA) and the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) are sometimes called the "granddaddies" of college savings accounts. Your valuable gifts also lower your tax liability.UGMA and UTMA Accounts...

Elderlaw 101

A North Dakota court decision involving a trust highlights the importance of taking current and potential step-relationships into account when planning your estate.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional, clearing the way for the surviving spouse of a lesbian couple to receive a refund of the taxes she was forced...

Any complete estate plan should include a medical directive, which can encompass a number of different documents. ...

Elderlaw 101

Credit shelter trusts are a way to take full advantage of state and federal estate tax exemptions. Although such trusts may appear needless unless you are a multi-millionaire, there are many reasons to create them.

Elderlaw 101

Proper execution of a legal instrument requires that the person signing have sufficient mental "capacity" to understand the implications of the document. ...

Elderlaw 101

If you choose to write your own will, you run the risk of not having your estate distributed the way you want, as a recent Pennsylvania case illustrates.