Category: Estate Planning

Believe it or not, it is not easy to disinherit your spouse in the United States. In many states and the District of Columbia, you cannot intentionally disinherit your spouse unless your spouse agrees to receive nothing from your estate in a prenuptial, postnuptial, or other marital agreement. However, the same is not true for other family members. Generally, you […]

You and your spouse have recently divorced, and the judge has signed the divorce decree. Now what? Although you may feel that you have spent enough time and money on lawyers, there is one last attorney you need to talk to: an estate planning attorney. If you and your former spouse created an estate plan or named each […]

 You found the love of your life, and as you have built your life together, you have likely weathered your fair share of storms and grown stronger because of them. Now that you are married, you are uniquely situated to provide meaningful support for your spouse after your passing through special estate planning tools available only to legally […]

  Estate planning for couples in a second or subsequent marriage can be tricky, especially if their estates are disproportionate. One solution that allows the more affluent spouse to maintain control of their property and wealth and minimize potential estate taxes—while keeping their spouse happy—is the lifetime qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) trust. The Basics of Creating a […]

  You and your spouse live together, work together, and likely spend a great deal of your free time together. Having a successful marriage and business takes hard work and dedication, but it can also be among the most rewarding things in life. To help keep you on the right track, here are a few tips. Create separate […]

  Most people may be surprised to learn that the federal estate tax is considered by some to be voluntary. Estate planning attorneys used to say, “You only pay if you do not plan.” The relatively recent introduction of portability provides yet another planning tool available to married couples to minimize or eliminate estate taxation. Portability allows a […]

Disinheritance—the intentional exclusion of a family member, usually a child or spouse, from receiving part of your estate after your death—is more common than you might think. It is also easier than you might think to disinherit a loved one, with a couple of notable exceptions. However, it is not as simple as omitting someone’s name from your […]

What is in a name? If you are a beneficiary or a creditor of an estate, or if you are setting up an estate plan, your name means a great deal. It is not unusual for a person to go by different names, such as the name we are given at birth and the names we choose for […]