When you die, there are a lot of possibilities as to how your estate might be administered: Will you have a Will? A trust? Will there be a probate? Or will all your assets pass by beneficiary designation? Regardless all of these options, one thing is for certain: a death certificate will be issued and […]
According to a New York Times article, Michael Jackson did have a Revocable Living Trust in place at the time of his death. A Revocable Trust makes good sense for a public figure because it is privately administered and not subject to the lengthy, costly, and public Probate process. There are quite a few good articles […]
November 5, 1913 – July 8, 1967 Vivien Leigh, most famous for her role as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With The Wind, died on this day in 1967. Ms. Leigh was born Vivian Mary Hartley but changed her name when she began pursuing her acting career to “Vivien Leigh” (altering the spelling of her first […]
Every now and again clients ask what happens when someone murders someone for an inheritance. Can the murderer inherit from the victim’s estate? The simple answer is: No. If the potential beneficiary of certain assets murders the decedent, he or she is denied inheriting from the decedent’s estate – including both probate and non-probate assets. […]
We have posted a few updates on the 2013 MN Omnibus Tax Bill (the “Bill”) and the changes the Bill brings to MN’s estate and gift taxes (see Erik Doerr’s post, 2013 MN Omnibus Tax Bill, and Maggie Green’s post, Minnesota Gift Tax 2013). Another change that comes with the passing of this Bill is […]
In a previous post, I have detailed what it means to own real estate as joint tenants. The lengthier terminology for this type of titling is joint tenants with rights of survivorship. This means that when two people, usually a married couple, own real estate as joint tenants, when one of the joint tenants passes […]
All of us attorneys here at Epilawg regularly talk with prospective clients in person, on the phone, and by email to educate and answer questions about estate planning. Regardless of the person, their family, the size of their estate or a variety of other unique characteristics, nearly all prospective clients have the same initial question: […]
May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987 Fred Astaire was born Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, NE. His father anglicized the family name during World War I to Astaire. By the age of four, Astaire began taking ballet lessons and only a few years later began studying at a performing-arts school in New York. It was […]
Minnesota’s legislators have been busy working up new and exciting changes to Minnesota’s estate planning landscape. Perhaps less controversial and less exciting, (and, some would argue, more concrete) than the new Minnesota Gift Tax, this article will summarize some of the changes made to the Minnesota Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney document. With its […]
I recently came across this TED Talk by Judy MacDonald Johnston and thought she did such a great job starting the discussion on end-of-life planning that I had to share it with our readers. The video is worth watching (it is a short 6 minutes) and should be shared with any loved ones who are unwilling […]
April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996 Ella Fitzgerald was a great American singer, who got her start when she entered an amateur contest at the Apollo Theater in 1934. Ms. Fitzgerald’s career spanned decades and “[b]y the 1990s, Ella had recorded over 200 albums.”1 Ms. Fitzgerald was diagnosed with diabetes later in life and […]