Here on Epilawg, we already have great articles about the estate planning for social media accounts and the importance of having an estate plan that addresses ownership of digital art. This article will address the importance of giving fiduciaries information about digital assets for a smooth management of your incapacity plan and the proper administration of your estate plan. It makes […]
What my sock drawer has to do with Estate Planning
October 5, 2012
I am not a control freak, I swear. And while I currently have a color-coded calendar, may have an embarrassing history with coordinating pens and notebooks based on subject matter, and relished spending a recent weekend with 32 new organizational bins, I fully realize that not everyone operates this way. I do believe, however, a […]
The “Power of Attorney” in Real Life
September 25, 2012
Some clients know how important the Power of Attorney document is. They may have acted as attorney-in-fact for a spouse or an elderly relative. Or they may have experienced first hand the challenges created when someone hasn’t executed a valid Power of Attorney. The Power of Attorney (aka POA) names an attorney-in-fact to make financial […]
Guardian & Trustee … should they be one in the same
September 17, 2012
I often get the question, “should our guardians and trustees be the same people?” I always give the same answer, “I cannot answer that for you because I do not know the people in your lives, but I can give you some things to consider.”
ARRESTING MOTION: ESTATE PLANNING FOR ARTISTS
September 4, 2012
PART VII: WRAPPING UP “The song is ended (but the melody plays on). “ ~Irving Berlin (composer) & Beda Loehner (lyricist) All good things must come to an end. Hopefully this series has succeeded in helping both artists and their attorneys understand the unique complexities that are often involved in an artist’s estate plan. As […]
Don’t wait for the holidays – Gift Now!
August 14, 2012
Almost every week I receive an email from a tax or financial advisor about how my clients should take advantage of the current gift tax exemption. The exemption of $5.12 million allows an individual to give away just over five million dollars before paying any federal gift tax (side note: MN does not have a […]
Don’t wait for the holidays – Gift Now!
August 14, 2012
Almost every week I receive an email from a tax or financial advisor about how my clients should take advantage of the current gift tax exemption. The exemption of $5.12 million allows an individual to give away just over five million dollars before paying any federal gift tax (side note: MN does not have a […]
QR Codes … for Estate Planning?
August 3, 2012
QR codes, those squares made of square dots arranged in a pattern that you scan with your smart phone, are popping up everywhere these days. Consequently, I was not at all surprised when I saw a story on the local CBS evening news … QR Codes On Headstones: Preserving Personalities Of Those Passed.
Safe Deposit Boxes
July 20, 2012
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 […]
Mom, Dad, are your financial affairs in order?
July 13, 2012
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
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 […]