I recently returned from the Academy’s semi-annual Summit in Williamsburg, VA. As always, it was wonderful to reunite with the Academy Members. This cohesive group has a great deal of camaraderie and energy, and I always look forward to going. I have been attending these Summits for 15 years. What I find striking each time […]

I was the final speaker at the Academy’s Spring Summit event in Williamsburg, VA, which ended a few days ago. The speaker immediately preceding me was Dana Fitzsimons, who gave a great talk on Elder Abuse. Elder abuse can take many forms: Whatever form abuse takes, there are a few things we know about it: […]

In recent years, uncertainty has been the name of the game when it comes to tax planning. This year is no different. The Bush tax cuts are set to expire on December 31, which means that absent intervention by Congress: Tax rates for ordinary taxable income will increase, with taxpayers in the highest bracket paying […]

The FINAL WORD about making a powerful seminar presentation: PRACTICE. You heard the old saying, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? PRACTICE. PRACTICE. PRACTICE!” The same applies to being a powerful and effective seminar presenter. Before you get up in front of your audience, you better know your presentation by-heart. You do not want […]

Think as a local business you don’t need to worry about appearing at the top of search engine results because of your Yellow Pages ad or other local marketing? Think again! Clients are no longer using the phone book when in search of local products and services. Instead, more and more are turning to computers, […]

Whitney Houston’s Will has been big news since it was recently filed with the probate court in Fulton County, Georgia. Perhaps the biggest news is that Ms. Houston’s estate plan consists of a Will, signed in 1993 and modified by a single codicil, and nothing more. Not even a living trust. The Will names Ms. […]

I read the Academy’s March 26 blog post entitled How Do You Deal with Grieving Clients? and immediately wished I had a magic wand that I could wave over every estate planning attorney so that they could be prepared for every grieving client they see in their office. The truth is…. grief takes so many […]

Are you a generalist or a specialist? Chances are you “specialize” in a particular area of law. But unless you’re board certified, your state’s rules of ethics likely don’t allow you to call yourself a specialist. Many lawyers focus on an area of practice where they can develop a certain level of expertise. It’s natural […]

Over the past three weeks, I’ve discussed a myriad of issues about which you need to know before making the decision to transfer real estate to a trust. I’ve looked at tax, insurance, and asset protection issues. I’ve explored concerns unique to irrevocable trusts and those unique to revocable trusts. With the abundance of issues […]

The relatively recent ability to provide very high-tech, expensive medical procedures to pets raises interesting questions for pet owners, veterinarians, and ethicists alike: Can we justify spending tens of thousands of dollars on a bone marrow transplant or chemotherapy for our dog or cat? Can we ethically own a pet if we are unwilling or […]