Dividing Up Your Estate at Your Death


September 9, 2014
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For some, as they prepare their Wills, it is a pretty clear cut decision on who will receive what and how much. For example, most married couples with children will first leave everything to each other, then when both spouses are gone, their estate will be divided equally among their children (do keep in mind […]

After Hours with Diana Marianetti


September 3, 2014
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  Name: Diana Marianetti Employer: Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP Position: Attorney Location: Minneapolis Education: Hamline University School of Law (J.D., cum laude), Macalester College (B.A.) How long have you been practicing? I’ve been practicing law since 2010. What led you to practice in the area of estate planning? That’s actually a funny story. […]

Godparents & Guardians: Two Different Roles


August 22, 2014
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I often hear in conversation (and I once believed this too!) that if a minor child has godparents, then the same people will be legal guardians of the child if something happens to the child’s parents. This is not true. Godparents and guardians are two different roles and are appointed in different ways. Godparents A […]

Non-Compete Agreements


August 1, 2014
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One item that many employers have begun to use extensively with employees is a non-compete agreement. The main goal of a non-compete agreement (“non-compete”) is for an employer to protect its goodwill, trade secrets and confidential information upon an employee leaving that employer and, presumably, working for a competitor of the employer. A non-compete could […]

Independent Contractors


July 15, 2014
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Some of the small business clients I work with often want to hire an independent contractor versus bringing on a permanent employee. The use of independent contractors is very attractive to businesses because it can reduce the business’s exposure to employment-related lawsuits and reduce the business’s tax burden (i.e., no income tax withholding, Social Security […]

Grief


June 9, 2014
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During the four years or so that Epilawg has been in existence, there have been countless posts about the guiding principle behind the purpose of this blog: figuring out how to best write your own epilogue; planning the resolution to your own story. Over the years, various angles on Epilawg’s main topics have been presented; […]

Epilawg Series: Top Ten Estate Planning Myths


April 1, 2014
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One of our great contributors here at Epilawg is Erika Stein Rosenhagen, an estate planning attorney practicing in Minnesota. Over the next month and a half we will be featuring a series of posts from Erika highlighting the top ten estate planning myths: what they are, why they are incorrect and items to consider about […]

After Hours with Lindsey Manhart


March 25, 2014
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• Name: Lindsey Manhart • Employer: American Family Insurance • Position: I advise people on their insurance to ensure their policies are tailored to fit their needs. • Location: Minnetonka, MN • Education: B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology and Spanish How long have you been in your career field? 14 years What led you to work in […]

Forced Heirship


January 29, 2014
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Not surprisingly, since most of us here at Epilawg are licensed to practice law only in Minnesota, we generally write about most topics from a Minnesota law point of view. Oftentimes, though, many laws having to do with estate planning tend to be similar among the states, with deviations here and there, which is why […]

Another Estate Planning Lesson from Downton Abbey


January 8, 2014
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We’re big fans of Downton Abbey (as is the rest of the world). Previously, we have covered the inheritance lessons learned during the first season of Downtown Abbey. This past Sunday evening, Season 4 premiered on PBS. The framework of the episode centered around an estate planning issue: what makes for a valid Will? I […]

After Hours with Chris Hiestand


December 10, 2013
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Name: Chris Hiestand Employer: Excelsior Wealth Management Position: Owner and Independent Financial Advisor Location: 3800 American Blvd. West, Suite 1500, Bloomington, MN 55431 Education: Finance Degree, Series 7 and 66 Certifications, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst How long have you been in your career field? 8 What led you to work in this area? I have […]