Unfortunately no matter how close a family might seem, it always has the potential to endure disputes between members either during everyone’s lifetimes or after someone has passed away. The fights can get ugly and feelings can get hurt. But often the disputes could have easily been avoided, or resolved, if individuals remembered the lessons […]
The vast majority of us are not running international, Fortune 500 operations. We are leading, or working with, small to mid-sized businesses. With that comes the false sense of security that cyber thieves aren’t targeting us or our clients. I want to share with you why that presumption is false, and why we are actually […]
For many, cabins provide an opportunity to get away from it all, to spend time with family and friends (maybe beside a body of water) and decompress from daily life. Unfortunately, cabins can also cause frustration and confusion as to how families (immediate and extended) will share it and how the cabin can be passed […]
If you are a U.S. citizen, resident alien, or certain nonresident alien, you are required to report any foreign financial assets that meet the reporting threshold to the IRS. There are different filing requirements and it just depends on the type of assets and the reporting thresholds to determine the filings an individual is required […]
Awhile back, an article in the Star Tribune discussed the egregious practices used by some credit card companies and banks to collect debts owed by deceased persons, often targeting surviving family members who may or may not have a legal obligation to pay.
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 […]
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. […]
Employer: Stone Arch Law Office, PLLC Position: Attorney Location: Minneapolis Education: University of Minnesota (B.A.), William Mitchell College of Law (J.D.), Thomas Jefferson School of Law (LL.M.) How long have you been practicing? I opened my practice in February of 2014 after spending six years in trust and estate administration. What led you to practice […]
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 […]
As everyone mourns the death of Robin Williams and reflects on his tremendous talents, we estate planning attorneys can’t help but wonder, did Robin Williams do any estate planning? It is apparent that Robin Williams had a very successful career. What is unclear is the true value of his estate. Some reports indicate that Robin […]
I know, I know… you have read it over and over again here on Epilawg that it is important to have documents in place for times of incapacity. Yet, as Jayne Sykora and I just attended a conference together, I was reminded of the importance to do so particularly if you own a business. As […]