Every so often, things go wrong. No one likes it, especially if the problem could have been avoided. In estate planning, there are a number of reasons why things might not go the way they were planned. In the worst cases, problems can grow into lawsuits. Most of the time, lawsuits are the result of…
Today it is common practice to use a revocable living trust as the foundation of an estate plan. One of the reasons professionals recommend trusts is so that their clients can avoid the time delays, costs, and publicity of probate. Indeed, a trust that is fully funded (i.e. all assets are under trust control) does…
A married couple has special planning challenges if one spouse is not a citizen of the United States. Federal estate tax law requires that a spouse be a U.S. citizen in order to qualify for the unlimited marital deduction. The primary reason for this law is that the IRS does not want a surviving non-citizen…
You can select an individual as a Trustee, such as a close friend or family member; or a professional Trustee can be selected such as an attorney or CPA; or you may choose a financial institution or a bank. A good Trustee should be someone who is honest and trustworthy, because they will have a…
Trustees are those individuals (family members, attorney, or CPA for example) or entities (such as a bank trust department) named in a trust agreement to administer the trust. Trustees are required to manage and invest trust property and to distribute the trust property to certain individuals (the beneficiaries) based upon the instructions contained in the…