After Hours with Sonia Toomey


July 31, 2012
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Name:   Sonia Toomey Employer:  Self – Law Office of Sonia Toomey, PLLC Position:  Attorney      Location: Office in Bloomington, meeting space in downtown Minneapolis, Eden Prairie, St. Louis Park and at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. Education:  Undergraduate degree in European Politics from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in England; Law Degree from William Mitchell College […]

ARRESTING MOTION: ESTATE PLANNING FOR ARTISTS


July 25, 2012
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PART VI: WHEN & WHERE? DEFINING A TRIGGER & CHOOSING A LOCATION  “Time and space are fragments of the infinite for the use of finite creatures. “ ~Henri-Frederic Amiel, Swiss Philosopher, Poet and Critic Followers of this series will be delighted to know that this penultimate entry is the most concise and straightforward. When? Attorneys […]

John Dillinger


July 22, 2012
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June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934 Known as “Public Enemy Number One,” John Dillinger was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1903 and became one of America’s most notorious gangsters. While wanted for bank robberies throughout the Midwest, Dillinger became the focus of the FBI when he stole a sheriff’s car and drove it across […]

Safe Deposit Boxes


July 20, 2012
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Safe deposit boxes are a great resource to store and protect valuable assets. However, they can cause problems during an estate administration. The first issue that arises is the lack of knowledge that the decedent had a safe deposit box. Often the individual administering the estate is neither aware of the existence nor the location […]

After Hours with Gretchen Baker


July 17, 2012
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Name:  Gretchen Baker Employer:  Baker Law Firm Position:  Attorney Location:  5200 Willson Road, Suite 150, Edina, MN 55424 Education:  Boston College ‘97, William Mitchell College of Law ‘07 How long have you been practicing? I have been practicing since October, 2007. What led you to practice in the area of estate planning? I have observed […]

Mom, Dad, are your financial affairs in order?


July 13, 2012
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While speaking to clients regarding their estate plan, the topic of conversation often shifts to … “I wonder if my parents have done any planning?” As we get further into the discussion of expenses – the cost of funerals, burials, cremation, estate administration, etc., I regularly hear … “I am concerned about my parents’ financial […]

What is a Life Estate?


July 9, 2012
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Every now and again a client will ask for a life estate to be created; however, most often the client does not understand what exactly it is, how it is created or the potential benefits and pitfalls of creating such an estate. In this post, I will attempt to give a basic overview of a […]

Ted Williams


July 5, 2012
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August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002 While I pride myself on my sports knowledge, my husband often reminds me of all the information I apparently do not know. Yesterday’s example revolves around Ted Williams as I began to write this post. Now, I know who Ted Williams was and do know of his baseball […]

Single Member LLC Professionals and Estate Planning


July 2, 2012
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Minnesota has a professional firms act that requires licensed professionals (as defined in MN Statute 319B.02 subd.19) to, among other things, register their business as a professional firm. One particular requirement of the statute, that all owners of the business be licensed professionals, often makes succession planning a challenge. Under most circumstances, an LLC member […]