While there some similarities between a trustee and an executor, the chief of which is that they both handle matters of an estate after a person dies, there are significant differences. If you are planning for the future of your estate or you’re being asked to handle an estate after a loved one’s passing, it’s important to understand the […]
One of the questions I commonly get when helping a client with their will is whether they can or should name more than one executor to their estate in Connecticut. There are many reasons a person may consider naming more than one executor and the answer to the question depends on the circumstances. Most often this question […]
When a person passes away and leaves an inheritance behind for loved ones, it’s natural for the person’s heirs and beneficiaries to want to know what they have been left. It’s also natural for these individuals to want to make sure the estate is being handled well or that they are receiving their rightful share. […]
In probate proceedings, the Final Account, which is also called the Administration Account in Connecticut, is the statement filed with probate court that shows the final disposition of an estate’s assets after all debts, taxes and expenses relating to the estate have been paid but before assets are distributed to beneficiaries. The final account is filed […]
Most people have very little involvement with probate procedures, wills or the distribution of estate assets. Although they may have received an inheritance, few actually get involved on a detailed level. So when it comes time to consider their own estate and will needs or are named as an executor of an estate, a lot […]
Post-DOMA Planning: How the Supreme Court’s DOMA Decision Will Affect Estate and Income Tax Planning for Same-Sex Couples In a landmark decision yesterday in the case of United States v. Windsor (http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/12-307_g2bh.pdf), the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). DOMA is a U.S. federal law that barred federal recognition of same-sex marriage, thereby […]
Post-DOMA Planning: Exploring Some of the Most Significant Federal Benefits Now Available to Married Same-Sex Couples Once the Supreme Court’s decisions regarding the Defense of Marriage Act have had some time to sink in, same-sex couples and their advisors will need to start sorting through the changes resulting from this decision and determining how they […]
Identifying Estate Planning Techniques No Longer Available and Updating Estate Plans to Reflect New Benefits Our last article discussed some significant benefits that will now be available to married same-sex couples as well as identifying one estate planning technique that no longer applied to these couples. In this article, we will expand on some other […]
It’s among the most difficult conversations parents and their adult children ever have: what plans have Mom and Dad made in the event of their death or incapacity? Yet as difficult as the conversation can be, having it can ward off a world of trouble. Not knowing an aging parent’s wishes for their care, or […]
Post-DOMA Planning: A Look at the Landscape and What May Come Next Since the recent landmark Supreme Court decisions, some issues have been made clear regarding the rights of same-sex couples, but many more issues are still to be resolved. Although the Court’s decision in U.S. v. Windsor gave Federal recognition to same-sex marriages, states are still […]