Is DIY Trust Creation Wise?

May 20, 2013 / By: Roy W. Litherland, Attorney at Law

There are a lot of things that can be accomplished online, but you probably want to think twice before planning your estate using a download or worksheet that you get off the Internet from one...

Autism Awareness

May 17, 2013 / By: Roy W. Litherland, Attorney at Law

Category: Estate Planning, Special Needs Planning, Trusts

April was set aside as the month during which we raised awareness about autism. This developmental disorder is growing rapidly, and it impacts a significant percentage of Americans to one extent or another. There are...

Google Makes Afterlife Planning Simple

May 15, 2013 / By: Roy W. Litherland, Attorney at Law

Category: Estate Planning

When you’re planning for the eventualities of aging and your inevitable passing, you have a lot of details to consider. The first thing that is probably going to come to your mind is the future...

Charitable Giving: Know Where Your Money Is Going

May 13, 2013 / By: Roy W. Litherland, Attorney at Law

Category: Charitable Remainder Trusts, Estate Planning, Taxes

There are various different ways to give to charity when you are planning your estate. The correct choice for you is something that you should probably discuss with an experienced estate planning lawyer. Some people...

Budget Plan Would Increase Federal Estate Tax

May 10, 2013 / By: Roy W. Litherland, Attorney at Law

Category: Estate Planning, Taxes

People who follow these things raised an eyebrow when the qualifier “permanent” was attached to the estate tax parameters that were put into place after the enactment of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012....

Incapacity Component Adds to Appeal of Living Trusts

May 8, 2013 / By: Roy W. Litherland, Attorney at Law

Category: Estate Planning, Incapacity Planning, Trusts

There are some estate planning devices that accomplish multiple objectives, and living trusts are among them. The primary reason why individuals decide to utilize revocable living trusts is because of the fact that these trusts...

IRS Wants to Know About Taxable Gift Giving

May 6, 2013 / By: Roy W. Litherland, Attorney at Law

Category: Estate Planning, Taxes

In 2012, we were faced with some unknowns with regard to the estate tax rate and the exclusion amount for 2013. If the lawmakers in Washington did nothing to change the trajectory as it existed,...

When “Slicing Pie” Consider Post-Mortem Dynamic

May 3, 2013 / By: Roy W. Litherland, Attorney at Law

Category: Estate Planning

When you’re looking at the sum total of the assets that you are going to be leaving behind to your loved ones, you are in a sense slicing up a pie. The first logical thought...

Supreme Court Mulling Case With LGBT Estate Planning Implications

May 1, 2013 / By: Roy W. Litherland, Attorney at Law

Category: Estate Planning, LGBT Planning, Taxes

There is a case being decided by the Supreme Court that may have a significant impact on estate planning for same-sex couples who are legally married. As it stands right now, because of provisions contained...

How Long Will Your Financial Legacy Last?

Apr 29, 2013 / By: Roy W. Litherland, Attorney at Law

Category: Estate Planning, Taxes

A recent article published on the Wall Street Journal website sheds some light on the subject of lost inheritances. You may think that most people who can pass along enormous sums of money to the...