Digital Assets. What Are They & How Do I Protect Them?

Our lives essentially revolve around technology and this trend is only continuing to grow. Nearly all of our important documents and files, whether they be personal, business or financial, are stored on various digital platforms. Therefore, it is extremely important to ensure those documents and files, also referred to as digital assets, are not only…

What Do New Year’s Resolutions Have To Do With A Law Firm?

What Do New Year’s Resolutions Have To Do With A Law Firm?

It’s pretty safe to safe to say that most people make resolutions for the new year. You may not write them down in a special, secret binder, or proudly slur your intentions at the annual new year’s party; but there’s a good chance you are trying to make improvements in some form. So just what…

Is Your Estate Plan Secure with the New SECURE Act?

Is Your Estate Plan Secure with the New SECURE Act?

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE ACT) is intended to help people save for retirement. Most significant are the changes to Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), which could help many older Americans save even more for retirement. But there are also some benefits that have been lost. That said, the SECURE Act will…

Just Like Kobe Bryant’s Daughter, Kids Have Rights in the Family Trust

Just Like Kobe Bryant’s Daughter, Kids Have Rights in the Family Trust

Since Kobe Bryant’s tragic passing earlier this year, his wife recently realized their infant daughter was not included in his trust. In the Bryant family trust case, and others we’ve experienced, more than likely the omission was an accident. Assuming it was an accident, what are the steps you, as the living spouse or child,…

So What’s the Difference Between a Living Trust & an Irrevocable Trust?

So What’s the Difference Between a Living Trust & an Irrevocable Trust?

“Why wouldn’t they just form a living trust and put their house in it? After all, once that is done, their house is safe because the trust provides asset protection.” Unfortunately, this is a common misconception regarding how trusts work and the protections a trust can provide. Before covering some details about the differences between…

Show Me The Money, Accounting of Trust

Show Me The Money, Accounting of Trust

The story always starts the same, “there was supposed to be money, but we don’t know what happened.” For a vast majority of inheritance disputes, compelling the trustee to provide the beneficiaries with an accounting of the trust assets is a vital and mandatory first step. But before jumping in with an accounting of the…

Does Your Current Estate Plan Make Sense in Light of the Recent Changes to Tax Laws?
|

Does Your Current Estate Plan Make Sense in Light of the Recent Changes to Tax Laws?

By R. Zebulon Law, Esq. LL.M., CPA & Christina M. Chan, Esq. On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.   Part of the law concerns the estate tax exemption limit, which has doubled from $5.6 million to $11.2 million per person.  The new estate tax exemption limit is effective…