Wealth Preservation, Trusts and Estates

It is important to continuously review your estate planning documents such as Wills, Trusts, Powers-of-Attorney and Living Wills, to insure that they name the correct Executors, Trustees, Guardians, Beneficiaries and Power of Attorney. It is not enough to sign these documents once. You must continuously review your present needs, the needs of your family and the people you have trusted to take on significant resposibilities. Read this legal guide written by Douglas L. Kaune to review some of the reasons you might need to update your estate planning documents.

Contact Douglas L. Kaune, Esq. at 610-933-8069 or dkaune@utbf.com to discuss your estate planning documents and the need to update them to best provide for you and your family.

Wills * Trusts * Elder Law * Probate * Asset Protection * Power of Attorney * Estate Planning
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By: Pennsylvania Trust and Estate Attorney – David M. Frees III

Many wills and trusts are drafted to leave the maximum amount that can pass tax free to children or other heirs and the balance to the spouse. However, thanks to the failure of Congress to act, the estate tax has lapsed effective January 1, 2010.

This type of planning is especially common with our wealthy clients and also very common in cases where clients are in second marriages with children from prior marriages.

However, you should be sure to check your estate planning documents given this unexpected change. If the formula results in either too much going into trust, or in disinheriting a spouse, this will create undesirable results, and may result in numerous will challenges.

Click here to see the Wall Street Journal review of this important estate tax issue for married couples.

David M. Frees III - Trust, Estate and Asset Protection Planning Lawyer*
610-933-8069

* Note, that in Pennsylvania, there are no professional designations for lawyers. The use of the expression trust lawyer or related topics merely indicates that the lawyer or attorney focuses his or her practice primarily in those areas of law. As a consumer, it is important to ascertain the level of experience that the particular attorney has in any area of law including trust and estate planning, asset protection, and probate law, and estate and trust administration.

David M. Frees III It’s that time of year. New Years Eve approaches and it is time to make decisions, set new goals, and to make your new year’s resolutions. And, this year, more than ever, estate planning, updating your will, trust, and power of attorney should top the list.

This brief article will examine why 2010 estate planning resolutions and will updates are more important than ever, and how to make sure that this is one resolution you’ll actually keep.

First, the many laws related to estate planning and estate and inheritance taxes change regularly. For example, Medicaid – nursing home laws, estate and gift tax rules, and power of attorney laws have all changed recently for Pennsylvania residents.

However, this year there was also a major change, when Congress allowed, at the last minute, for the federal estate tax law to lapse. But, don’t take that too happily because it comes roaring back in just 12 months and that version may be worse than ever. And, to make matters worse, if your assets (including life insurance) exceed 1 million dollars, your estate planning documents might not even work properly.

So for the full story on who should revise their estate plan and why, as well as notes on how to keep this resolution, click here.