Many clients come to the estate planning process having heard about revocable trusts, and have questions about whether a trust is right for them. This article explains how a trust helps to avoid probate, and may help you decide if a trust is right for you. Probate...
A frequent concern for estate planning clients is how to avoid owing estate taxes at their death. Because the estate tax has become a political issue, some of these clients are also concerned about how the election results might impact the estate tax. The following is...
Sara Wilson has joined Lommen Abdo in its Minneapolis office. Sara has unique experience in being fully capable of handling both transactional and litigation matters. Sara's transactional practice includes assisting clients with the purchase, sale, leasing, financing,...
In 2008, Congress recognized the need for the public to understand the importance and benefits of estate planning by passing House Resolution 1499, which designated the third week of October as National Estate Planning Awareness Week. Nevertheless, according to a 2019...
Traditionally when we think of estate planning, we think of transferring assets upon death pursuant to wishes conveyed as part of a Last Will and Testament or a Revocable Trust. Assets held in a revocable trust will pass directly to beneficiaries named in the trust...
They focused on client successes (not their own). They helped our clients accomplish goals. And, in the end, they gave our clients peace of mind. While Lauren Nuffort, Cameron Kelly and Jesse Beier may have different practices, they share a philosophy of the “client...
For most people, the term “estate” conjures visions of stately mansions, fountains, private jets, and other luxuries associated with the superrich. However, if you own anything when you die, you have an estate. Your estate includes personal property, real estate, bank...
Business owners are busy. Starting, running, and growing a business takes time, and normally carries the business owner well outside of the bounds of a normal nine to five business day. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that most business owners have no...
Federal Estate and Gift Tax Exemption: The IRS announced the official estate and gift tax limits for 2019 late in November of 2018. The federal estate/gift tax exemptions for an individual increases to $11.4 million, up from $11.18 million in 2018. This means an...
Minnesota income taxes are currently among the highest in the nation, which is why many of our estate planning clients prefer to create trusts that will be taxed in other states. Many of these other states, such as South Dakota, have no income taxation, and favorable...
I spend a lot of time talking to clients about property, but at its core estate planning is about family. Clients want to ensure that their family will be taken care of. For parents of young children, the most important family decision is the selection of a guardian....
Cameron Kelly recently completed his LL.M. Degree in Estate Planning, graduating with honors from the John Marshall Law School. His coursework focused on the taxation of estates, protecting estate assets, and business succession planning. Cameron’s degree will allow...
When people think about estate planning, the estate tax is one of the first things that comes to mind. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by President Trump on December 22, 2017 brought significant changes to the transfer of wealth, including increasing the...
I recently worked with a client after his spouse passed away. Their revocable living trust had been drafted in 2000 by a competent attorney. At that time, the federal estate tax exemption was $675,000. The estate tax exemption is the amount of money that a person...
Estate planning may not be at the top of most people's minds during the holidays. But it is important to check things twice before moving on to 2018 New Year's resolutions. For many of us, this includes updating our estate plans, figuring out what's happening with...
From comprehensive tax reform making its way through congress, to the changes to the Minnesota estate tax, it has been an eventful year for estate planning. While tax changes are not the most exciting topic for many of our clients, it is a topic that continues to be...
Most of our clients have at least a portion of their savings in IRAs. Those that do not often have savings in a 401k, which will likely be converted to an IRA upon retirement. Both 401k and IRA plans allow a person to put money away tax free. However, when money is...
There have been significant well publicized estate planning legislative updates in 2017, including the increase in the Minnesota estate tax exemption amount and the proposed repeal of the federal exemption. Two lesser-known changes impact one of Minnesota’s most...
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