Although it was long predicted, the country is currently in the middle of the biggest transfer of assets in current history. The Federal Reserve reports that at the end of 2021’s first quarter, people in the United States who are 70 years of age and older had net worths of…
In the recent Texas appellate case of Maxey v. Maxey, a dispute occurred involving the probate of an estate in which two sisters mediated and reached a settlement agreement addressing the division of real property. The two sisters disagreed on how to divide property among several trusts and as a…
People who have an estate with various assets often need to be prepared to contend with sudden changes in both market valuation and tax laws. During the COVID-19 pandemic and an era of both political uncertainty and quickly changing markets, it can be particularly difficult to decide what assets to…
While ninety percent of American businesses are family owned, only about thirty percent of them continue to the next generation. Half of those again make it to the third generation. The most common reason: lack of a business succession plan. There are many reasons owners fail to plan. In addition…
An appellate court recently reversed in part and affirmed in part the judgment of the Court of Appeals concerning a decision by the Comptroller of the Treasury to include the value of a marital trust in an estate in a tax assessment. The trust contained qualified terminable interest property that…
When a person dies without a will in New York, probate rules to intestate succession guide the distribution of asset to relative survivors. New York rules of intestate succession provide that the closest living family member surviving the deceased is entitled to transfer of assets from an estate. The law…
Many individuals want to make sure that part of their estate is dedicated to their favorite charitable causes, and many make the move to guarantee this during their lifetime. There are several ways to do this. Some individuals may consider structuring an endowment while other may choose deferred gifts or…
The estate planning process can be complex and confusing, which is one of the reasons it is a good idea to work with an experienced estate planning attorney as part of creating a comprehensive estate planning strategy. This is especially true for business owners. Recently, we wrote about some important…
Few people think about what will happen to their business after they die and therefore rarely put together a plan. Fewer may even think that a family or closely held business should be considered a part of their estate plan. However, for many small business owners, their financial interest in…
Over the past few months there has been a surge in awareness efforts by agricultural publications around the need for farm families to take estate planning seriously. For example, late last week Agri-View published an article re-emphasizing the need for families to get serious about their succession planning if they…