by Christine | Sep 28, 2015 | Inheritance |
It’s not exactly what most parents would want their children to use their inheritance for, but we suspect that this mother would have been very proud of her son. John Bickman Walls told his son Pelle Walls, who was then 17, that his mother, Walls’ ex-wife, had...
by Christine | Sep 25, 2015 | Estate Planning, Will Contest |
It’s been nearly ten years since litigation over the James Brown estate. Funding from his “I Feel Good” trust, has yet to make its way to needy students in North Carolina and Georgia because of several will contests. One last issue – the value of the estate, which is...
by Christine | Sep 24, 2015 | Uncategorized |
The estate sale has moved from a do-it-yourself enterprise into a big business. Seniors eager to empty their nests before their kids do it, as well as heirs who just don’t want to deal with the accumulations of a lifetime, are turning to estate sale professionals. But...
by Christine | Sep 23, 2015 | Estate Planning, Living Trust, Wills |
The stories of family relationships destroyed by the lack of wills or unfair distribution of assets are heartbreaking. Despite all evidence to the contrary, people somehow think that their adult children will be special and manage to work things out. This is rarely...
by Christine | Sep 22, 2015 | Estate Planning, Pet Trust |
Pet Trusts: Not Just for Dogs and Cats The growing popularity of Pet Trusts in the United States is further proof that as a nation we love our pets and consider them members of our families, even if they have fur, whiskers, or in this case, feathers. It’s one...
by Christine | Sep 21, 2015 | Estate Tax |
Estate planning attorneys were told that several new reporting requirements would go into effect in August, but the IRS was not quite ready to actually implement their own new rules. These new requirements have now been officially postponed, giving estate planning...
by Christine | Sep 18, 2015 | Wills |
In the past, one would have to go to local court offices to research old wills, using microfiche machines dating back a few decades themselves. But today, millions of wills, from regular people and historic figures, are now searchable online. Wills offer a treasure...
by Christine | Sep 14, 2015 | Estate Planning |
Known as bastions of good taste and wealth, Christie's and Sotheby's have been engaged in a knock-down fight over which of the famed auction houses will handle A. Alfred Taubman's $500 million art collection. How strange that the estate of the deceased,...
by Christine | Sep 11, 2015 | Uncategorized |
Estate taxes are seen by some as instruments of public policy, an attempt to fight economic inequality by diminishing the ability of wealthy families to aggregate vast amounts of wealth. Others see estate taxes as a “death tax” that penalizes those who are financially...
by Christine | Sep 10, 2015 | Estate Planning |
When a man who had remarried passed away, his children were less upset about his leaving everything to their stepmother as they were about her decision to liquidate the family home and furnishings. Rather than give them an opportunity to enjoy things that had special...
