“Contrary to popular belief, the estate attorney handling the estate represents only his or her client, who is the executor of that estate….” Therefore, he or she is under no obligation to provide advice to any of the heirs as to their legal rights, Inheritance...
Uncategorized
What-If Business Succession Strategies
“Indiana is a state where entrepreneurs see promising developments,” writes Adam Uziolko in Business News Daily. In fact, Indiana has more than 450,000 small businesses. Owners of closely held businesses have special needs. The problem is, however, that too often...
When Assistance Flows Down the Generatiions
“When parents are absent or unable to raise their children, grandparents are often the ones who step in,” explains HelpGuide.orghttp://www.helpguide.org/articles/grandparenting/grandparents-as-parents.htm. While raising a second generation brings many rewards, it also...
Candidates’ Positions on Estate Taxes
According to the Tax Foundation, tax policy is shaping up to be one of the major issues of the 2016 presidential campaign. Let’s first review the basics of estate tax law as it now stands: The IRS website defines the tax on estates: “The Estate Tax is a tax on your...
Don’t Wait for a Vacation or a Friend’s Death to Plan Your Estate
“I’ve found that the two most common times clients revise an estate plan are when a vacation is coming up and when a friend or family member has just died or received a bad diagnosis,” writes Patricia Annino in the CPA Insider. Pointing out the obvious, Annino...
Estate Planning With Purpose
“The wealthy make a difference in many ways,” the U.S. Trust "Insights on Wealth and Worth 2016" survey revealed, including: Donating to not-for-profit organizations Volunteering time, skills, and service Serving on boards Considering societal and environmental impact...
Toxic Succession Plans
It’s really too bad. The relationships among family members may have been very loving and congenial. The estate plan may have been developed with the greatest care and fairness towards all heirs. But, when property passed on from one generation to the next turns out...
How Does Dollar Cost Averaging Relate to Estate Planning?
“Lump sums can come from several different sources – a pension payout, inheritance, the sale of property or a business, or even winning the lottery,” observes financial advisor Jennifer, of Portfolio Solutions. In the debate about whether dollar cost averaging is the...
Prince’s Estate Poses Ongoing Estate Settlement Challenge
Two and a half months after Prince’s death, the distribution of his estate seems no clearer. The list of those claiming they deserve a share of the inheritance from late singer Prince Rogers Nelson appears to be growing by the day. The basic problem? Prince died...
Veterans’ Benefits Claims Process Can Be Fraught With Obstacles
When we’re assisting our clients who are wartime veterans or surviving spouses of wartime veterans obtain the VA benefits they deserve, we go in knowing that is no easy task. Of course, part of the difficulty is a natural result of the sheer size of the Veterans...

