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
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
Coronavirus and Nursing Homes
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 over a quarter million people on every continent except … [Read more...] about Coronavirus and Nursing Homes
Planning for the Sandwich Generation
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education,American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.People are living longer and are having children later in life. Due to this combination of demographic factors, many more people are in the “Sandwich Generation.” Someone in the Sandwich Generation has elderly parents while they still have minor children. All too often, they are torn between their caregiving responsibilities for their children and for their parents. … [Read more...] about Planning for the Sandwich Generation
Beneficiary Designations and Other Non-Probate Transfers
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education,American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.Beneficiary designations and other non-probate transfers are an often-overlooked part of estate planning. They are overlooked by clients and sometimes even by professionals. When planning what would happen to your assets at death, most of us think, “oh, that’s simple, I need to do a Will to take care of that!” But, that’s just part of the process. You almost … [Read more...] about Beneficiary Designations and Other Non-Probate Transfers
Planning for the Unexpected
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education,American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.Often, people think they’ll have a warning before death and they’ll be able to plan once they get the warning. They think of life almost like a traffic signal. They think they are born with a green light. When they get old or get a serious illness it turns yellow. When death is imminent, the light turns red and they die. They think they’ll plan once the light turns … [Read more...] about Planning for the Unexpected
How Will You Age in Place and Be Able to Die at Home?
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education,American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.More and more Americans are dying at home rather than in hospitals. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, in 2017 29.8% of deaths by natural causes occurred in hospitals while 30.7% occurred at home. The percentage of people dying in hospitals has been declining for several decades. While in 1912 two-thirds of people died at home, this evened out in the … [Read more...] about How Will You Age in Place and Be Able to Die at Home?
Preparing for Coronavirus
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education,American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.There’s a new virus that’s emerging, novel “coronavirus,” also called “COVID-19.” It first appeared in Wuhan, China in late 2019 and 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 near 100,000 people in 81 countries.There are hundreds of … [Read more...] about Preparing for Coronavirus
Estate Planning Conference Discusses SECURE Act and More
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education,American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.The Heckerling conference in Estate Planning is the country’s largest professional gathering in Estate Planning. The conference examines many areas of interest to Estate Planning and Elder Law professionals. It pays particular attention to items of current interest.As the SECURE Act passed in late-December 2019, it was discussed in many sessions. The SECURE Act … [Read more...] about Estate Planning Conference Discusses SECURE Act and More
Planning for the SECURE Act
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education,American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.The “Secure Act” was part of a larger law that passed with (rare) bipartisan support in late-December 2019. It is effective January 1, 2020, for most purposes. This is a series of articles on the Secure Act. The first article looked at the basics of the Secure Act. This second article examines planning strategies for dealing with the Secure Act.As laid out in the … [Read more...] about Planning for the SECURE Act
