Estate Planning

If you create a trust, you will need a separate person or institution, called a "trustee," to manage the trust either now or in the future, depending on the type of trust.  ...

Knowing the "cost basis" of your property is important for tax purposes, but proving cost basis can be difficult.

Elderlaw 101

Accumulated frequent flier miles can be valuable assets, but what happens to those miles after somene dies?  Can a spouse or other heirs inherit them, or do the miles simply evaporate like a contrail?...

A court decision in Minnesota serves as a cautionary reminder to anyone thinking of changing their estate plan on their own. ...

Some parents, fearful of how a large inheritance will affect their heirs, set up what are known as “incentive trusts” that ensure that the trust funds support positive behavior and discourage unproductive activities. ...

We've all been warned about protecting ourselves from identity theft, but one group of victims can't take action to defend themselves—the dead. There are steps that you can take to discourage identity thieves from targeting a deceased loved one.

Now that the late Whitney Houston's only child, Bobbi Kristina, has herself died, what will happen to the estimated $20 million estate she was to inherit?  ...

As a trust beneficiary, you may feel that you are at the mercy of the trustee, but depending on the type of trust, beneficiaries may have rights to ensure the trust is properly managed.

Unlike money, personal belongings usually cannot be divided equally after their owner passes away.  For this reason, distributing items like furniture, jewelry, dishes, silverware, artwork, photographs or clothing is often the most difficult challenge in settling an estate. ...