In Frank Capra’s 1946 film, It’s a Wonderful Life, an angel named Clarence appears to [...]
What’s the difference between Living Wills and Health Care Surrogates? The living will, you may [...]
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The Advantage of Sprinkle Trusts Wouldn’t it be great if the inheritance you leave [...]
A client came to me concerned about her spouse. His memory was failing and if [...]
When I started practicing law more than thirty years ago, the federal estate tax exemption [...]
I hear this question all too often. A client will come in, thinking they have [...]
A Nevada case decided in 2021, In re Giannotti 1990 v. Premier Trust, held that [...]
As I write this, I just returned from my daughter Courtney’s graduation, as she earned [...]
Unlike public charities that derive their support from a number of individuals, private foundations are [...]
The Tax Court ruled in 2021 that the estate of a man with a complicated [...]
More Estate & Tax Law Changes Brewing My law partners and I recently attended the [...]
Howard Gardner, professor of education and psychology at Harvard University, writes many books on leadership [...]
I’ve received several questions about living wills. Living wills are not documents that leave assets [...]
A perplexing issue for many clients planning their estates surround the federal estate tax exemptions. [...]
Carl is a nephew of my clients. He’s 23 years old and has learning and [...]
When counseling, I asked Robert a simple question. “Do you envision your children and grandchildren [...]
Our retired law partner Jay A. Brett, who spent his entire career at The Sheppard [...]
Thirty years ago, a man I barely knew hired me as an associate attorney in [...]
In a recent column I discussed the benefits of embedding continuing testamentary trusts for your [...]
Donor-advised funds (DAFs) are usually free and easy to establish and can be used a [...]
My office frequently interacts with compliance officers of major banks and brokerage firms. From time [...]
I was in a client meeting not too long ago, and I asked “Brent” and [...]
Rather than focusing on estate planning in this article, I plan on sharing the wisdom [...]
Last November we lost Aaron T. Beck, a psychiatrist who was a professor in the [...]
First off, I want to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy [...]
In this season of giving, I think of the most valuable gift I received. It [...]
Did you move to Florida while maintaining your residence in another state with plans to [...]
I imagine that when patients enter a physician’s office and makes demands for specific medications [...]
Dan Sullivan, founder of the Strategic Coach program, says that “so long as you can [...]
Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898), a conservative German statesman once famously said, “If you like laws [...]
A concern many of my clients have is protecting the inheritance they leave their children [...]
One of the most overlooked aspect to estate planning is income tax planning for your [...]
The proposed federal tax legislation reduces our gift/estate/generation skipping transfer tax exemptions from the present [...]
In my last column I reviewed how the proposed tax legislation treats Intentionally Defective Grantor [...]
My clients have asked me why the proposed federal tax legislation wants to eliminate grantor [...]
Florida has always had a “slayer statute” that denies a beneficiary who intentionally kills someone [...]
In our efforts to keep you up to date, here’s a synopsis of President Biden’s [...]
Before I begin this week’s column, the new proposed tax legislation was introduced into the [...]
My father-in-law, Ronald, is a pack rat. He and my mother-in-law can’t park their cars [...]
We can accomplish so much these days simply by pushing a button. I just returned [...]
Many parents loan money to their children. Some expect payback, others don’t. The loans might [...]
Recently I’ve studied government political structures and the balance between individual freedom and collective responsibility. [...]
One of the most common questions I encounter in my practice. That question goes something [...]
The New York Times recently published an article entitled: What Should Happen to Our Data [...]
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than 7 million American [...]
Most of my clients’ estate plans ultimately distribute the assets to the children, and if [...]
Many states allow for a couple to legally separate instead of filing directly for a [...]
Courts of law normally handle disputes between citizens. Our American court system has evolved over [...]
The world changes at a rapid pace. As recently as twenty-five years ago, fax machines [...]
Don and Theresa were married fifteen years, each had children from a prior marriage. They [...]
“I need to amend my irrevocable trust,” John said. “You can’t amend something that’s irrevocable,” [...]
The Unlikely Supporters of Estate Tax Requests often come from the most peculiar places. You [...]
Beware of financial advisors and estate planning attorneys who suggest using a Charitable Remainder Trust [...]
Recently several new clients have arrived at my office explaining that they don’t need revocable [...]
Will the proposed tax legislation currently before Congress eliminate the step-up in tax cost basis? [...]
In the 1970s my grandparents owned a men’s clothing store located in Indianapolis’ Westlane Shopping [...]
When choosing how to approach your estate plan, it’s important to realize that the different [...]
Because in recent weeks I’ve seen so many erroneous gift tax returns, today’s column is [...]
The Bill Senator Bernie Sanders released his proposed tax reform legislation on March 25th which [...]
Too often an overlooked yet important element of your estate plan is your 401(k) and [...]
In many ways your estate plan intersects with a variety of disciplines. Legal and tax [...]
To protect loved ones’ inheritances from predators, creditors, divorcing spouses and even from estate taxes [...]
I’ve reviewed many estate plans in my 30+ years of practice. It is not uncommon [...]
Lucy loaned her son money over the years. First, it was $75,000 for a down [...]
When a parent dies one of the first questions their adult children ask me is [...]
John Locke, a British Enlightenment figure of the late 17th century, is credited with some [...]
Call an Attorney When a Loved One Dies – Even When You Have a Revocable [...]
Robert created a trust that first distributed the first $2 million to his wife, Linda [...]
I’ve had several new clients come to me with an existing estate plan that includes [...]
Recently I’ve fielded many calls about advanced estate planning strategies, most likely brought on since [...]
A friend of mine officiated at another friend’s wedding some time before the pandemic. I [...]
It appears that Joe Biden will take the oath of office on January 20th as [...]
After the Holocaust, social scientists were haunted by the question of why so many people [...]
This column is scheduled to run on November 6th, but I’m writing it a week [...]
I recently watched a television interview of Bruce Springsteen, a favorite of mine. He released [...]
Rob, a well-mannered, intelligent 25-year-old beneficiary to his grandfather’s trust came to me with a [...]
Several years ago, you took out a life insurance policy on your life and named [...]
For those of you who have wills and trusts that contain testamentary (post-death) trusts that [...]
When I was growing up in Indianapolis, we would visit my grandparents in Clearwater every [...]
“James,” a widower, sat in my office as we prepared his will together. “My sons [...]
My client, let’s call him Pascal, complained to me recently while reading over his estate [...]
Our national conversation over inequality has, to me, foundational issues that have largely gone unaddressed. [...]
What many clients don’t realize is that they may lose their trusted financial advisor when [...]
Any parent of more than one child knows how different our kids are – even [...]
I was 18 years old when my dad dropped me off as a freshman on the front [...]
I’m happy to announce that my oldest daughter Gabi became engaged recently to her longtime [...]
Most families have black sheep. You know what I’m talking about. There might be three siblings, but [...]
I’m going off topic today, choosing to address the controversy surrounding the removal of statues [...]
A couple of years ago, a very nice couple visited with me in my office. [...]
Many individuals have charitable intent that they would like to incorporate into their estate plans, [...]
Several years ago, when my mother was first diagnosed with acute myelodysplastic leukemia, the first thing [...]
As a somewhat public figure simply by writing this column for over twenty years, I [...]
We take for granted that the tool of a revocable living trust is available to us. We [...]
There’s a big difference between a counselor and a salesman. This became evident to me [...]
In recent weeks I’ve encountered calls from clients who, unbeknownst to me, took on the [...]
When a new client first visits with me to update their estate plan, it isn’t unusual for them [...]
Some time ago I discussed the concept of VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous), and [...]
I often begin my initial consultations with a simple question. “What do we hope to accomplish today?” I intend [...]
A few years ago, New York Times columnist David Brooks wrote about two different sets [...]
The next time that you feel depressed, angry, envious, unhappy, or are simply having a [...]
Having just sent my youngest off to Elon University in North Carolina, I’ve been reflecting [...]
Albert and Victoria were interested in marrying as they had cohabitated for many years, but [...]
Names are important. A little boy named Wilfred today, compared to in the past, may [...]
My favorite definition of love is ‘giving someone the power to destroy us and trusting [...]
General Patton was once famously quoted “When everyone is thinking the same thing, then somebody’s [...]
So much of our lives are electronic and digital now, we don’t even realize it. [...]
While communication with your team of legal, tax and financial professionals is important to put [...]
Clients frequently ask whether one should transfer the title to their automobile into their revocable [...]
Over the years clients have asked me how to provide for educational gifts within their [...]
Did you know, however, that you can have the best estate planning documents ever drafted [...]
Did you ever wonder where the phrase “acting in concert” comes from? It may have [...]
One of my all-time favorite movie scenes is from The Pink Panther Strikes Again where [...]
Those ugly turkey vultures are quite ubiquitous throughout Southwest Florida. You see packs of them [...]
According to Peterson, a significant number of parents today fail to socialize their children. They [...]
Many of my clients who live on the islands dream of leaving their beloved residence [...]
Twice a week I train with a personal trainer to help keep myself physically fit. [...]
When considering your estate plan, I ask this question: do you consider it a contract [...]
You may be aware that the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act was enacted at the [...]
Many of you have heard that the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act of 2017 that [...]
Many clients have expressed a desire to create trusts for loved ones, but to not [...]
From time to time a client will not tell me about a child because they [...]
Growing up in Indianapolis, my family was close to my maternal grandparents who owned retail [...]
What do you do when an heirloom bracelet goes missing? How about when a bank [...]
When you’re named as a trustee to a trust, especially a trust in which you [...]
Children of a recently deceased client learned an expensive lesson not too long ago after [...]
What happens when a man dies with a will or a revocable trust that was [...]
Regular readers of this column know that I like to educate on the importance of [...]
So where are you from? And if you own a residence in Florida and haven’t [...]
Most clients who have revocable trusts believe that there won’t be a probate opened upon [...]
Many Florida residents, particularly those in Southwest Florida, suffered casualty losses from Hurricane Irma recently. [...]
When naming spouses, children or other loved ones to serve as trustees in your testamentary [...]
As an estate planner, it is fascinating to me to see how some have acquired [...]
In my wife’s family lore they tell the story from many years ago about Uncle [...]
As Freeform (formerly ABC Family) is wont to do, a Harry Potter marathon aired this [...]
Many retirees figure that once they move past the stage in their lives where they [...]
Like many professional offices, ours has gone electronic and mostly paperless – at least as [...]
Many who own residences both here in Florida and in some northern states often consider [...]
A new client, Theresa, who recently relocated from a northern state, brought me her trust [...]
You may be surprised to learn that more than 90% of American businesses are family [...]
Many don’t completely understand the different types of deeds that might be used when transferring [...]
I recently visited New York, Boston and Chicago, and in each location I used public [...]
It’s amazing to me how the written word is often misconstrued. I believe this happens [...]
When drafting up wills and trusts, I sometimes have a client tell me that they [...]
Like many of you, over the past few weeks we entertained guests from northern locales [...]
While attending law school, I used to take a yellow highlighter and pen, writing in [...]
When my children were young, I used to read Dr. Seuss books to them. One [...]
It’s frustrating when we receive conflicting advice about a particular topic, and that is as [...]
I’m always looking for shortcuts when driving, especially during busy season. Most long-time Sanibel residents [...]
At the conclusion of our recently held client workshops we open the floor for questions. [...]
Occasionally I am asked a basic estate planning question that I will review today, and [...]
Many people move to Florida or establish residency here not only for the sunshine but [...]
I was born at the tail end of the baby boomer generation – which is [...]
We take for granted that the tool of a revocable living trust is available to [...]
Under Florida law, life insurance is exempt from the claims of creditors. The exemption is [...]
A common mistake, particularly with young parents who come into my office, is the naming [...]
Ken and Barb have a joint trust that provides for one another and upon the [...]
I was very close to my great grandmother, whom I called “Bubby.” A framed picture [...]
Many clients become confused between the difference of the duties and responsibilities of the person [...]
When you have a revocable living trust, you typically serve as your own trustee. Upon [...]
The last few years have brought several favorable developments for same sex couples in the [...]
I’ve written in the past about a variety of ways to modify problem trusts. I [...]
An adult child of a client who recently passed away contacted me to discuss what [...]
A client, “Alec” discussed imposing a third party trustee on his son “Terrance’s” inheritance, while [...]
“Calvin” visited with me recently, armed with spreadsheets describing the distributions he wanted his revocable [...]
“I know that you’re big on revocable trusts,” Jennifer began during our initial client consultation, [...]
