John Steinbecks Estate Embroiled in Litigation: Sour Grapes of Wrath?
The author John Steinbeck died in 1968. For the last thirty-six years, his estate has been embroiled in litigation over disposition of his literary estate which is valued in the millions of dollars. This estate litigation could have been avoided with good estate planning....read more
Hackl's Shackles Make Taxpayers Cackle
In the last year, there have been dramatic changes to the Federal Estate Tax. Less estates will be subject to estate taxes. For those estates which remain liable, the amount of the tax liability has been reduced. This year all estates which are less than $1 million are exempt from federal estate tax....read more
Make Sure Your Estate Planning House is in Order
Making a good estate plan is analogous to building a house. Both the estate plan and the house must be built on a strong foundation. A solid home uses bricks and mortar to build the foundation. There are a variety of building materials used in making a good estate plan....read more
The Sad Tax Story
of Robert Lurie
What is good estate planning? It means transferring your estate to family, friends and others at the minimum tax cost. Estate of Lurie is a classic example of what can happen when a taxpayer is not given proper tax advice....read more
Sometimes Estate Planning Is Nothing More Than a Sandwich
I have been a lawyer for over 22 years. During that time, I have met with thousands of clients to discuss their estate plans. They have run the gamut from clients worth millions of dollars to those trying to protect their modest savings from Medicaid. Some are owners of successful family owned businesses or executives of Fortune 500 companies, while others have been couples living on their pensions....read more
Spring Cleaning - Time to Freshen Up Your Estate Planning
It's that time of year again. Flowers begin to bloom. Birds begin to chirp. This is the season when we begin our spring cleaning. Open the windows to let in the fresh air, change over our closets, and give our homes a really good cleaning. Did you ever think that this may be a perfect time to review your estate plan to remove some of the cobwebs? Spring Tip #1 - Beware of the New Jersey Estate Tax....read more
