During the past 32 months of her illness, I became a reluctant authority on Medical Directives; my knowledge being obtained during my mother’s long, and ultimately unsuccessful, bout with Parkinson's Disease.
April 7, 2026
During the past 32 months of her illness, I became a reluctant authority on Medical Directives; my knowledge being obtained during my mother’s long, and ultimately unsuccessful, bout with Parkinson's Disease.
April 7, 2026While the razzle dazzle of planning Bill Gates’ estate makes for interesting cocktail party discussion, estate planners should focus on practical issues, such as those addressed in this newsletter.
March 31, 2026Why "Listen & Act"? Many individuals go to the trouble and expense of creating Wills and Trusts to carry out their after death wishes but then fail to complete an equally important part of the estate planning process.
March 31, 2026One of the banes of professionals who do estate planning is the oft heard phrase “well, I have a Will, therefore I don’t need to do anything else.” As indicated by a number of the newsletters on our website, having a Will often is not the equivalent of thoughtful estate planning.
March 23, 2026Would you buy a car without a motor? Of course not. You may be surprised to learn that some Revocable Living Trusts, “RLTs” are motorless that is without assets and could therefore be dubbed essentially motorless.
March 13, 2026Trusts, like corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies exist because societies and laws say they should exist and be recognized. One of principle advantages of Trusts is that they can survive the death of the creator of the Trust without the need for court supervision, usually referred to as “probate”; often a cumbersome costly process. Trusts are a beneficial fiction essential to estate planning and here is how they work? All Trusts have at least three parts: (1) You the Grantor — the creator, (2) a Trustee that performs the necessary work (also called fiduciary duties), and (3) the Beneficiaries who receives cash and benefits from the Trust.
March 13, 2026It is not uncommon to find individuals who have decided to approach estate planning by putting real estate, often a home, and other assets (like bank accounts) in joint ownership, usually with a husband and wife, and an adult child or children.
March 13, 2026Many family businesses evolve. What starts as a sole proprietorship becomes a partnership when the children become involved.
March 13, 2026Mr. Gnu Less had a Will. When the subject of estate planning came up, Gnu ended the discussion quickly because he knew he had a Will and was sure that nothing more was needed. Right?
March 1, 2026What’s on the “A” List attached to your Revocable Living Trust (RLT)? Frequently RLTs have an attachment referred to as an “Asset” List or “A” List, which lists assets that have been, or should be, transferred to the RLT, such as real estate, closely held stock, security brokerage accounts, bank and savings accounts, and other assets of significant value.
July 1, 2013No, the title does not mean that you should have confidence in your Will. What the title refers to is Trust provisions contained in a Will. Let’s look first at the components of a Trust.
January 1, 2005When planning for business succession, the first generation will, far too frequently, reflexively want the children or surviving spouse to assume control of the business.
March 1, 1998
