Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. This is the first in a three-part series of articles on Powers of Attorney. This first article examines the Financial Power of Attorney. The second article will address the Healthcare Powers of Attorney. The third article in the series will focus on a “HIPAA” Power of Attorney. These three documents are the keystone in even the most basic estate plan. First, what’s … [Read more...] about The Basics: Financial Power of Attorney
What Are the Drawbacks of Probate?
If you were to use a will to express your final wishes with regard to your asset distribution choices, you would name an executor in the document. This person or entity would not be able to act independently. The will would be admitted to probate, and the court would provide supervision during the administration process. During probate, final debts are paid, including taxes. The court examines the will to determine its validity, and if anyone wants to issue a challenge, they could make their … [Read more...] about What Are the Drawbacks of Probate?
Avoiding Family Chaos in the Coronavirus Age
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. The coronavirus has infected over seven million people around the world, including over 1.9 million in the United States. It has killed over 110,000 people in the United States and disrupted countless lives as the unemployment rate in the United States has soared to levels not seen since the Great Depression. People can shelter-in-place to reduce their chances of … [Read more...] about Avoiding Family Chaos in the Coronavirus Age
Whom Do You Want to Get Your Assets?
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. It’s important to consider whom you’d want to get your assets when you die. Most of us have an idea of whom we’d choose. But, it’s also important to consider who should get those assets if your preferred recipient isn’t around. Life is full of odd twists and turns. Unfortunately, sometimes people don’t die in the order you’d expect. (The deaths of Kobe Bryant and his … [Read more...] about Whom Do You Want to Get Your Assets?
Families Gather in Novel Ways in Pandemic
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. The novel “coronavirus” (also called “SARS-CoV-2”) causes the disease “COVID-19.” It first appeared in late 2019 and was reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31, 2019. Here’s a link to the WHO’s site for the latest global information. At this point, the virus has infected nearly two million people, including those on every continent except … [Read more...] about Families Gather in Novel Ways in Pandemic
Joint Tenancy Pros and Cons
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. Joint tenancy is a form of legal ownership where the property passes automatically at the death of one of the owners to the remaining joint tenants. Typically, there are two joint tenants, though there could be three or more joint tenants. While this form of ownership may be convenient, especially for couples, it can be disastrous when it is used with others. Let’s … [Read more...] about Joint Tenancy Pros and Cons
Are Inheritances Subject to Taxation?
When you are planning your estate, you may wonder about the way that taxes can impact inheritances that you are leaving to your loved ones. We will take a look at the details in this post to shed some light. Income Taxes Many people are pleasantly surprised when they learn that you do not have to claim an inheritance on your federal or state income tax returns. This applies to insurance policy proceeds along with direct bequests. When it comes to revocable living trusts, distributions of … [Read more...] about Are Inheritances Subject to Taxation?
Academy’s Spring Summit Virtually Perfect
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. The novel “coronavirus” (also called “SARS-CoV-2”) causes the disease “COVID-19.” It first appeared in late 2019 and was reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31, 2019. Here’s a link to the WHO’s site for the latest global information. COVID-19 has impacted the lives of millions of people and countless events around the world. The Academy’s … [Read more...] about Academy’s Spring Summit Virtually Perfect
Avoid These Common Estate Planning Mistakes
In far too many cases, loved ones are left behind to deal with difficult circumstances because of estate planning mistakes that were made by family members. With this in mind, we will look at some common estate planning mistakes in this post so you can steer clear of these scenarios. DIY Estate Planning There are websites on the Internet that sell boilerplate, fill in the blanks legal documents. The marketing approach revolves around the idea that anyone can play the role of an attorney and … [Read more...] about Avoid These Common Estate Planning Mistakes
Attorneys Justin M. Kennedy and Maggie A. LaBranch-Gonzales Selected as 2020 California Rising Stars
Attorneys Justin M. Kennedy and Maggie A. LaBranch-Gonzales have been selected to the 2020 California Rising Stars list. This is an exclusive list, recognizing no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state. This is the 2nd year that Justin and Maggie have received this honor. Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual … [Read more...] about Attorneys Justin M. Kennedy and Maggie A. LaBranch-Gonzales Selected as 2020 California Rising Stars
