by Christine | Jul 2, 2012 | Estate Planning, Wills |
The dispute over Thomas Kinkade's multimillion-dollar estate has come down to two barely legible wills that leave his girlfriend his mansion and $10 million, and three burning questions: did he write them? Was he coerced? And, finally, as the letters...
by Christine | Jun 29, 2012 | Estate Law, Estate Planning, Heritage, Legacy |
Family stories are different—yet of utmost importance. The philosopher Abraham Maslow said, “The ultimate disease of our time is valuelessness.” Poll results show that boomers agree. But how do you pass on something so intangible as a value? Giving a gift is one...
by Christine | Jun 28, 2012 | Living Will, Medical Directives |
These critical documents about your preferences for end-of-life care don't always work as planned. More flexibility might be the answer. Making end of life decisions means generating and updating your living will (or advance health care directive). These documents...
by Christine | Jun 27, 2012 | Estate Planning, Inheritance |
While not always easy to think about, inheritances are a part of the financial pictures for many baby boomers. Handling an inheritance sometimes requires thought and a game plan, and it is a topic that can be too easily set aside to be dealt with in the future. An...
by Christine | Jun 27, 2012 | Elder Abuse, Elder Law, Gift |
While clashes over who got what and how during someone's lifetime crop up in many will fights, the staggering size, two-decade timeframe and uncommon circumstances distinguish the dispute surrounding [Huguette] Clark's gifts. Are you planning your estate or...
by Christine | Jun 25, 2012 | Estate Planning, Marriage, Postnuptial Agreement, Prenuptial Agreement |
“Prenuptial agreements are increasingly becoming an important part of estate planning.”…“So should the recently engaged rush to sign a prenuptial agreement? Not necessarily.”… [and then again]… “Even if you exchanged rings long ago, there's still time to set the...
by Christine | Jun 22, 2012 | Asset Protection, Entity Structure, Partnership |
Charging Order Challenge Successful If a creditor’s remedy is restricted to a charging order, that means that the creditor cannot get at the assets of a partnership or LLC, right? Wrong. Most business owners seek to protect their personal assets from problems arising...
by Christine | Jun 21, 2012 | Charitable Giving, Taxes |
As the tax-code debate heats up this election season, one cherished break for taxpayers in upper brackets—the deduction for charitable contributions—is under fire. The bridge is out. As the current tax code barrels down the track there seems to be no one in the engine...
by Christine | Jun 20, 2012 | Charitable Giving, Real Estate |
A California entrepreneur got a harsh lesson on the rules of charitable contributions… when the U.S. Tax Court denied his $18.5 million deduction for real estate donations —not because he inflated their values, but because he didn't follow the rules. When it comes...
by Christine | Jun 19, 2012 | Estate Planning, High-Net-Worth, Inheritors |
The heads of ultra-high-net-worth families often have different views of how money should be bequeathed than those who will inherit it, according to a recent study. For every planner considering the inheritance to leave and the arrangements to make, there is also a...
