After some consideration, I have decided to reduce the frequency of my “Last Week in Estate Planning” posts. I will instead create such posts once a month. I am doing so for several reasons. First, I have received feedback that linking to ten or more other posts each week, while nice, is too much to…
Now that all the earthquakes, hurricanes, and back-to-school preparations appear to be out of the way, we can get back to some good ol’ estate planning reading! Much of last week’s best works seem to have come from traditional media resources. Take a look: Top Posts and Articles of the Week Post of the Week…
In the previous “Last Week in Estate Planning” entries, I placed the “Post of the Week” at the bottom as a way of building suspense. However, I have been advised that burying the lead in a blog post is perhaps imprudent. So now, the “Post of the Week” goes first, which is especially appropriate given…
A happy Independence Day to everyone! I hope your extended weekend is enjoyable, satisfying, and cool. Hopefully, the following list will help condense the amount of time you spend reading estate planning articles and posts during the holiday. Top Stories of the Week Individual State Developments In Florida: “New Legislation, Part II”, Jeffrey A. Cramer, Esq.,…
This is the end of my 10th month of blogging. At the end of every month, I like to take a post to thank those who have been very helpful to me and my law practice during the recent past. My hope is to remain humble, to point out the kindnesses of others, and to…
You may have heard reference to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in the news lately. In this post, we will briefly explain DOMA, recent Presidential and Congressional reaction, and the potential effects moving forward. The Current Law DOMA is essentially based on three provisions in Federal law: Read more...
According to the law of averages, approximately 1 in 500 people in the United States who are aged 25-44 will die this year. In other words, 499 out of every 500 in this group will be around in 2012. So why on earth do estate planning attorneys, financial planners, insurance salesmen, etc. recommend that anyone…
Image via Wikipedia For some reason, I am friendly with lots of women. Perhaps it is due to the influence of my tough mother and two strong older sisters, or that I followed Benjamin Franklin’s advice to marry someone smarter than me. However, this does not mean that I fully understand how women function. Read…
A $5 million estate tax exemption with a lower estate tax rate? Executive Branch vs. Legislative Branch? Democrats vs. Republicans? These are exciting times for estate planning enthusiasts. I have always wondered why there was never a “Law and Order” or “L.A. Law” type of show featuring estate planning lawyers. “No, Ms. Senior Partner, a…
