In the not overly distant past, the writings of the testator were the only evidence of his or her intentions and mental capacity. Undue influence was harder to defend against when the only evidence was the testator¡¯s writings and the recollection ...

The life estate is something every first year law student learns about when they study the arcane and often bizarre history of property law that harkens back to the days of English knights, lords and serfs, and the transfer of property through the ...

Many parents want to give an equal share of the family home or some other sentimental form of real property (actual land usually) to their surviving children in equal shares. As an estate-planning attorney, one often sees the strange problems cre ...

The creation of offshore trusts and other financial plans is a way of shielding your assets from the laws of the nation in which you reside. It can sometimes be used to remove one of the two certainties of life; taxes. Americans are far less lik ...

For Americans buying their dream property in Mexico, it¡¯s important to understand the differences between Mexico¡¯s real estate system and that of the United States. It¡¯s never safe to assume that any law or process is the same between the two sys ...

A Private Trust Company is, essentially, a company formed for the specific purpose of acting as trustee of a single trust, or a group of related trusts. It is not uncommon for settlors to wish to retain a degree of control over assets they settle ...

Estate planning for business owners.

For business owners, an effective estate plan addresses a number of concerns over and above the desire to care for surviving family members. Control over who will run the business, conservation of the own ...

The first question many people have when considering estate planning is how to protect their spouse in the event that they pass away. Although it is common to offer the advice that a will or trust is the best way to protect a surviving spouse, it ...

All too often I am asked this question at seminars or in response to my newspaper ads\r relative to Estate Planning. The Questioners have a genuine concern for their families and a realistic approach to life. Those who fail to ask this question le ...

You have diligently outlined what should become of your children in the event of your death or disability. You¡¯ve planned your estate, appointed guardians and possibly even shared your estate plan with family members and trusted caretakers. But do ...

Your estate consists of the assets that you will pass on to your beneficiaries when you pass away. Estate planning means deciding where your assets will go when you die. It takes time, thought, and the knowledgeable assistance of a qualified attor ...

A living trust has many advantages over a simple will or testamentary trust (trust after death). The first advantage is that it keeps the IRS even further out of the process than does either a will or trust that becomes effective after death. Th ...

Many people wonder if they really need a will. They may think that they don't have enough assets to bother with a will. Some people erroneously believe that a will causes your heirs to have to go through probate, leading to unnecessary expenses. H ...

If a person passes on without estate planning of any kind, whether that planning is some kind of will or trust, they are said to have died intestate. Intestate law is the law that decides how assets are transferred and creditors satisfied if a pe ...

Trust and Estates is a rapidly growing area of practice in the law that includes estate planning, managing your estate during life and disposing of your estate at your death through the use of trusts, wills and other planning documents.

Lear ...