06

Mar

Interstate Moves in Estate Planning

IS YOUR ESTATE PLANNING STILL GOOD IF YOU MOVE TO A DIFFERENT STATE? Practicing estate planning law in Western North Carolina can be very busy. There has been a continuous influx of people moving to our beautiful area from all over the country, and indeed, the world. One questio...

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Categories: Estate Planning Trusts


06

Mar

Tax Law Roulette

Speculating about tax law legislation is a lot like speculating about the weather. Even when you use the best instruments (barometers, hygrometers, radar, etc. ), the weather can throw you a surprise from left field. The same can also be said for predicting tax legislation. Logic...

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Category: Taxation


06

Mar

Trust Titling (funding) and Non-Qualified Annuities

Revocable Living Trusts (referred to also just as Living Trusts) are a common foundational estate plan technique. Not only can Revocable Living Trusts replace a Will (become a “Will substitute”) in distributing property after a person dies, but these trusts also provide planning...

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Categories: Estate Planning Trusts


06

Mar

Your Car and Your Estate Plan Need Tune-Ups

Like your car, it is always a good idea to periodically review your estate plan to make sure it is functioning optimally. After arranging your accounts and property with an attorney, it is easy to assume that you have checked estate planning off of your list forever. The reality...

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Category: Estate Planning


06

Mar

Did You Know the State Has Already Given You an Estate Plan?

There are many misconceptions about what would happen with your assets if you died without a will. Some married couples think their spouse would get all their assets. Some think their spouse would only get something called an “elective share”, which is an amount that changes dep...

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Category: Estate Planning


06

Mar

Did You Know That the State Wrote a Prenuptial Agreement for You Before You Got Married?

With a well-drafted marital agreement, more assets might be protected from being spent down on nursing home care for the surviving spouse. Also, concerns about children from a previous marriage being disinherited, or other family inheritance concerns might be addressed. Both par...

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Categories: Estate Planning Trusts


06

Mar

May You Live In Interesting Times

2020 Year-End NewsletterBrad HenryYou might be aware that the above adage is thought to be a Chinese curse referring to times full of instability and uncertainty, and not as a type of blessing. Regardless of its origin, and regardless of whether it is a curse or a blessing, we...

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Categories: Estate Planning Firm


06

Mar

Preparing for Falling Federal Estate Tax Exemptions

At the end of the year, please watch this space for our 2021 outlook letter, which will report on adjustments and changes in federal estate tax exemptions, among other estate and tax planning strategies. However, as a lead up to that, we would be remiss in not addressing and prep...

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06

Mar

A Coda to the Trilogy: The Role of the Living Will

In the last two posts, we looked at the Durable Power of Attorney and the Health Care Power of Attorney. In this last of the trilogy, we will look at the Living Will. Together, these three documents are often referred to as the client’s “ancillary documents,” in the sense that th...

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Category: Estate Planning


06

Mar

Future-Proofing: The Role of Health Care Power of Attorney

In our last post, we looked at the Durable Power of Attorney. We looked at its purpose, when it is effective and when it stops being effective. As we noted, the Durable Power of Attorney is a document where the client appoints someone else to help the client with his or her asse...

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Category: Estate Planning