Across the board, the significant majority of personal injury lawsuits and workers’ compensation claims are resolved through settlement. The reasons for the high percentage of cases that settle are myriad. Our crowded court system and resulting delays can wear down litigants; the increase in alternative dispute resolution helps cases resolve before trial; the inherent unpredictability […]
A few months ago, I wrote about the importance of having life insurance to help provide for your family upon your death. Today I write about life insurance again, but from a different perspective: what if something unexpected happens to your child? I know that no one likes to think about this scenario, but just […]
• Name: Janelle A. Schrupp • Employer: Schrupp Law, PLLC • Position: Attorney • Location: 7760 France Ave S., Suite 215, Edina, Minnesota • Education: St. Olaf College, William Mitchell College of Law How long have you been practicing? Since October, 2008 What led you to practice in the area of estate planning? I went […]
February 2, 1905 – March 6, 1982 It has been 30 years since Ayn Rand passed away. However, her philosophical and political theories are still common in debates today. Her two most famous novels, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged have been used by the right-wing to bolster their argument for pure capitalism and smaller government, […]
Later this month, Special Needs Trusts will be discussed in some detail. Today we’ll discuss Supplemental Needs Trusts. Oftentimes, these two types of trusts are confused because their purposes are somewhat similar, but how each is funded and created and what will happen upon each trusts’ termination are quite different. Beneficiary Like a Special Needs […]
Part II: Why? Framing the Issue. “Art is a nation’s most precious heritage. For it is in our works of art that we reveal to ourselves and to others the inner vision which guides us as a nation. And where there is no vision, the people perish.” ~Lyndon Johnson, on signing the Arts & Humanities […]
I previously wrote on how to disclaim property under federal law to avoid or minimize estate taxes. While estates may fall short of the federal estate tax exemption limit, currently set at $5 million, individuals may still need to disclaim property to avoid Minnesota estate tax. Many individuals think their estates also fall short of […]
May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965 Originally born as Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska, Malcolm X became a prominent human rights activist and gained numerous followers and enemies during the height of the civil rights movement. Malcolm X was assassinated while delivering a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City, just about […]
One of the consequences of a prolonged economic downturn is a decrease in the size of institutional endowments, just at the time when reliance on those funds may increase in order to offset a simultaneous reduction in other (e.g. contribution) income. Because stock market performance does not directly coincide with economic health, particularly in a […]
Make Sure Your Money Goes to the Right Person after You’re Gone There is so much information available about personal finances that you could spend your entire life reading all of it and you would never reach the end. Usually personal financial topics are geared toward what to do with your investments or how to […]
“The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life.” ~William Faulkner, Author and Nobel Prize Laureate. Part I: The Big Picture. As an estate planning attorney, […]