Clients often ask advice regarding how best to leave assets in order to maximize tax advantage. They look to the estate planning attorney for advice on income taxes, estate taxes, and even property taxes. But, perhaps the best advice we can give is how not to leave assets: directly. Clients typically see the advantages to […]

We all know how hesitant people can be to confront the idea of estate planning in the first place. Maybe it’s the idea of confronting their own mortality… maybe they’re superstitious about tempting fate… maybe it’s just not fun. Whatever the reason, it can be hard to get clients into the office in the first […]

So many of us make the mistake of thinking we’re in the “Estate Planning Legal Business.” While we practice estate law, defining ourselves in this way is a mistake, because our actions flow from the way we define ourselves. When you’re in the “Estate Planning Legal Business,” you tend to judge your practice and your […]

Imagine you’re in the final stages of terminal cancer. You’ve reached a point where treatment is no longer effective. Where would you want to spend your final days or weeks? Many people would prefer to be at home, close to family and friends, while receiving palliative or hospice care. But, depending on where you live, […]

Every year around Thanksgiving I think about the wishbone tradition. My dad always made a big deal about it, and my sister and I would always try to be the one who got the long end of the wishbone. That was always a special time for us and even though we had no idea what […]

What’s your true value as an estate planning attorney? If you’re going to be successful, this is something that needs to be crystal clear to you and your staff, and it’s something that you need to be able to communicate in no uncertain terms to your clients and prospective clients. I’ll give you a hint – it’s […]

In 2010, estate planning attorneys have been wondering “what will happen to the estate tax?” We have been wondering whether the pre-EGTRRA estate tax applicable exclusion of $1 million will return or if Congress will finally fix the mess it created years ago. Will the exclusion go back to the $3.5 million we had in […]

Maybe you don’t care what people will do to honor you after your death. After all, you won’t be around to enjoy the party. But the people who love you care deeply. My friend Gary, a confirmed bachelor in his sixties with no immediate family in the area, says that he doesn’t want a funeral […]

So often we think that our personalities are fixed, and we’re doomed to live our lives with all of our bad habits and faults. We’re convinced that we and everyone around us had better just make accommodations as to who we are. Because we think this way, we don’t make an effort to change, assuming […]

According to folklore, an ancient Chinese curse is “May You Live in Interesting Times.” Certainly, it does not get more interesting than 2010 for estate planners. 2010 has brought many major, temporary changes at the federal level. 2010 has also brought several unique changes at a state level. As I blogged about before, several states […]