• Wills, Trusts, and Estates: Saturday, March 13, 2010 Estate Planning & Community Property Law Journal Now Available on WESTLAW The Estate Planning and Community Property Law Journal at the Texas Tech University School of Law is pleased to announce that all of its prior …full story

• Simple and effective estate planning strategies
• Good Estate Planning Requires Time, Money, and Coordination of Professionals
• VC Brain Injury Conference Aims to Educate Professionals and the Public
• U.S. SEC halts Ponzi scheme preying on retirees attending estate planning seminars
• Stifel Financial Chairman and CEO Establishes 10b5-1 Trading Plan;...
• expected to expand significantly
• Ponzi Scheme Diverted Retirees' Funds to Cryogenics, Porn, Cars, SEC Says
• How 'digital executors' are helping families cope with web legacies of the dead
…full story

• LA Times article about estate planning
• Brittany Murphy did update her estate plan, after all
• The Elvis Presley Conspiracy (Part II): The Background
• Motion Magazine book review of Trial & Heirs
• The Elvis Presley Conspiracy (Part I): Is Elvis Alive?
• ABA Banking Journal Book Review of Trial & Heirs
• Dennis Hopper battling his wife; says she's after his will
…full story

• Estate tax - why many say 2010 is the year to die
• Selecting a trustee - making sure you get it right
• Why you may need a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement
• An inheritance is not a right – anyone may chose to disinherit a child - but at what cost?
• Post-death tax implications and options
…full story

• Informality and Probate
• Trusts and Consideration (why $10?)
• The Art of the Steal
• The Cancellation of Indebtedness "Scam"
• Wired Magazine on Disposing of your Online Assets
• Credit Reports
• More on the Astor Trial
• Scott Lee Cohen, the Estate Tax, and Traditional Media Failure
…full story

• Being an Agent for Health Care-Wild Ride Pt. 1
• Carry-Over Basis: Another Estate Tax Repeal Oddity
• The Estate Tax is Dead; Long Live the Estate Tax
• Organ Donation: Not Just For Steve Jobs
• Dogs Fight Back: Fighting for Helmsley's Billions
• Palliative Care--Making the Best of a Bad Diagnosis
• State Estate & Inheritance Taxes Too
• Wills v. Trusts (and Michael Jackson)
…full story

• New & Redesigned Blog Coming Up!
• Celebrities Die Just Like the Rest of Us.
• Is It Worth It?
• Standard of Care: Quick Analysis for Estate Planning Attorneys
• A Day In Conservatorship Court
• Your Children and Their Inheirtance.
• A Few Probate Q&As
• Alone? How about some EP documents as preventative medicine?
…full story

• You and Yours Blawg is Moving
• Haven't Paid NJ Taxes? Now Might Be the Time
• Lets get Banks Lending - SBA Loan Guarantee Amount to 90%
• Tax Changes in Stimulus Bill that may Impact You
• Prevent Identity Theft
• Silver Alert Legislation Making its Way Through Trenton
• It's A GO! New Jersey Combines Medicaid Waivers For Seniors & Adults With Physical Disabilities
• Changing your 529 Investment - Not so Fast
…full story

• Plain language? Is that even possible? And with drafting wills and trusts? Read on... One thing that good lawyers try to do is use plain language in their writings that can be understood by the opposing party, the court and the client in any situation. That said, it is harder to incorporate plain language in estate planning, trusts and probate matters. This is because some terms and phrases in this area, while foreign to clients, have accepted meanings in this practice and have become terms of art. One word that is often misunderstood, but comes to mind as a great example is the term "issue." Used in a will or trust when one writes and "...to his or her issue..." In this context it means the person's children, grandchildren and maybe even great-grandchildren. It is a nice open ended phrase that can be determined when the person dies as to the extent of their issue for estate planning purposes. Another confusing term is "real property." Real property means real estate or land and is different from personal …full story

• One of the main challenges in drafting estate planning documents is to plan for all possibilities. That is a difficult thing to do successfully. Therefore, building flexibility into one's estate planning documents is critical. One technique that can be used to add flexibility is to include powers of appointment into the document. A power of appointment is a right given to someone to designate who will receive property. The power of appointment may be granted in a will or in a trust. If the holder of the power exercises the power of appointment, the designee will receive the property. If the holder of the power of appointment does not exercise the power of appointment, the will or trust should identify the default taker of the property. …full story

• What Is A Will And Why Do I Need One? by Lisa Smith (Contact Author
• Biography) Email ArticlePrint Comments If you don't currently have a will, your loved ones may not receive the assets you wish to leave them in the event of your death. Making a will is a necessary and usually fairly simple process that can save your family time, money and grief as well as give you peace of mind. If you're unsure of where to start, read on for the basic information you need to know when you're considering making a will. (For a fuller discussion of the information contained in most wills, see the Estate Planning tutorial.) …full story

• Tax planning for the efficient transfer of the business cannot be done in a vacuum. There are a multitude of tax considerations to keep in mind when attempting to quantify the tax costs involved in the business transfer. Certain methods of transfer are less costly than others from a tax perspective. What is an effective plan from an estate or gift tax point of view may not be so efficient when viewed in the context of personal income tax. Additionally, what most benefits the family may not necessarily be the wisest alternative for the business. …full story