Category: Wills and Trusts

During the estate planning process, the benefits, as well as the importance of various legal tools, are discussed. The potential advantages of having different types of trust arrangements is also evaluated. Revocable trusts, for example, are often included in estate plans as a means of avoiding the probate process for the assets...

While trusts may be often discussed as being included in an estate plan, the tax consequences of a trust are not always addressed. This is unfortunate because trusts can have significant tax implications for both grantors and beneficiaries. Here, we will address how irrevocable trusts are taxed. How Are Irrevocable Trusts Taxed? An irrevocable trust...

It is no surprise that life insurance is one of the most commonly purchased financial products in the U.S. The benefits of life insurance can provide critical financial relief in the wake of the death of a loved one. Life insurance proceeds can replace the earnings of a breadwinner or cover cost of burial...

A fiduciary shares a legal relationship with the principal that comes with certain responsibilities, or duties. The Principal is owed the duty and the fiduciary carries the burden of upholding the duty. A prime example of a fiduciary relationship is that which exists between a trustee and trust beneficiaries. Trustees have fiduciary duties...

Some people have a very specific idea of how they want their funeral to be arranged. Some may be elaborate and large celebrations of life, others may be low key, intimate affairs. Regardless of the style you have settled on, you will want to make it clear to your loved ones as to how...

Whether you fear that your child has married someone unreliable or you have faced the reality that around half of all marriages end in divorce, there can be a number of reasons why you would worry about leaving an inheritance to your child that would end up in the hands of a spouse who...

A will is a legal tool that allows you to provide directions as to how you want your personal assets distributed when you die. This is what many people think of when a will comes to mind, but it can do so much more. There are several other provisions you can include in...

The Supreme Court recently issued a unanimous decision in North Carolina Department of Revenue v. The Kimberley Rice Kaestner 1992 Family Trust. At the center of the case was a dispute as to whether or not North Carolina had the authority to tax the trust given the specific facts of the case. You see,...