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    Will You Need a Probate Attorney?

    Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

    The subject of probate is one that nobody wants to learn about too early; in fact, most people would probably avoid it altogether if they could. Unfortunately, the probate process can be very confusing and frightening when you are forced to become intimately acquainted with it—especially if you have no prior experience with or knowledge of it.

    For a beneficiary, probate can be lengthy, expensive and frustrating; but if you have been named as executor, probate can suddenly become an overwhelming maze of deadlines, notifications and potential liabilities. This is why many executors choose to hire a probate lawyer to help them through the process.

    If you are the executor of a small estate with a straightforward will and one or two beneficiaries who are not contentious then you can probably do without an attorney. But you will want to think about hiring an attorney if you are serving as an executor under any of the following circumstances:

    * There are a number of beneficiaries who are not on friendly terms, or a number of beneficiaries receiving varying sizes of inheritance.

    * The decedent had large estate with many different assets, especially if the assets are not commonly held.

    * The decedent was a resident in a different state than your own home state.
    A large number of creditors are making claims on the estate.

    * There is a disagreement about the will, or if more than one will was found.

    * The will is challenged or contested.

    These are only a few of the reasons why you might want to consider hiring an attorney to help you through the probate process. If you aren’t sure whether you’ll need an attorney, don’t hesitate to call our office for a consultation. We can help walk you through the process and consider any obstacles that might arise. A little bit of foresight, and knowing you have an experienced professional on your side, can make all the difference in the probate process.

    Posted in Estate and Trust Administration | No Comments »

    Advice for Executors: How to Manage Final Medical Expenses

    Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

    Most people die in a hospital; sometimes after a long and slow decline, sometimes after a quick and unexpected tragedy. If you are an executor of the deceased’s estate this is significant because it means that there are usually final medical bills to be paid. What most executors do not know is that these final medical bills are not necessarily just like all the other final expenses, especially when it comes to filing a final tax return for the estate; this article from SmartMoney.com explains why.

    “…When a person incurs medical expenses and dies before they are paid, the executor of the decedent’s estate can elect to treat those medical expenses as if they were paid when incurred – as long as the estate pays the expenses within one year after the date of death. In other words, this election allows those expenses to be deducted on the decedent’s final Form 1040, even though they were not paid by the date of death.”

    Many executors may not think of this because medical expenses can only be deducted if they exceed a certain percentage of the deceased’s adjusted gross income (7.5% to be exact); but health care being what it is, final medical expenses can quite often reach this point.

    This sounds easy, but be careful if the deceased’s estate exceeds the $3.5 million estate tax exemption—you may want to look into other options. The article suggests that in this case it might be beneficial to “forgo the election and count the unpaid medical expenses as liabilities on the estate tax return.”

    As the executor of an estate you may have more options than you are aware of when it comes to taxes, probate, and achieving the best results for the beneficiaries. If you are unsure about any of these—or other—issues, please contact our office, we can help advise you on all angles of the trustee or probate process.

    Posted in Elder Law, Estate and Trust Administration, Health Care | No Comments »

    What To Do After A Death In The Family

    Friday, March 2nd, 2012

    Anyone who has lost a close friend or family member knows that what a difficult, painful, and overwhelming time it can be. We are often asked to help our clients through probate process when a loved one dies, but probate isn’t the only thing you’ll have to think about; in fact, it may not even be the first thing you should think about. We know that nothing can make this process easy, but we hope this brief guide can help make the process of dealing with the death of a loved one somewhat less overwhelming.

    1. The first thing you’ll want to do is call close friends and family. They will share in your grief, and they can also share the responsibility of notifying others.

    2. Contact a funeral director. This person can help walk you through the process of planning a memorial, making burial arrangements, and even writing an obituary. This can often be the most overwhelming task, not because it is particularly difficult, but because it has to be done so quickly; sometimes before the reality of death has had a chance to sink in with the survivors.

    3. Find out if your loved one had a will. Contact their attorney (if they had one) and make sure you have the original for the probate court. If you aren’t sure how to file with will with the probate court you can contact an attorney, or check the website of the local probate office for the deceased.

    4. Order multiple copies of the death certificate. You will need these for the insurance company, as well as for some of the steps below.

    5. Collect the mail and contact all utility companies, credit card companies, debt collectors, etc.; call to notify them of the death and stop services.

    6. Go through the deceased’s files and paperwork. This can be tedious, time-consuming, and confusing, depending on how organized your loved one was. This is important information you (or the executor or trustee) will need to file final tax returns and pass on to the probate court, so don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

    Dealing with the death of a loved one is one of the most difficult and overwhelming things you may ever have to do. If you are having a particularly hard time with the grieving process don’t be afraid to ask others to help with the more difficult items, or to hand the list over entirely to someone else if you feel unable to cope. This is when your own probate or estate planning attorney (or the deceased’s attorney, if they had one) can be especially helpful.

    Although it sometimes feels as if time should stand still when someone we love passes away, life does go on, for better or worse. But the world is full of caring and knowledgeable people to help you through the process… if you only know where to look.

    Posted in Estate and Trust Administration | No Comments »

    5 Basic Tips for Trustees

    Monday, February 13th, 2012

    Naming someone as trustee of your living trust is quite possibly one of the most difficult decisions you’ll ever make. The trustee is involved in just about every aspect of the administration of a trust; and although it is considered a great honor, it can also be a great responsibility.

    Most people choose someone close to them to serve as trustee: a best friend, son or daughter, brother or sister. Choosing someone who knows you and your family to serve in this role can be beneficial in many ways, but if that person doesn’t have a financial or legal background the responsibilities can be overwhelming! It is important that the person you nominate as trustee knows not only what is expected of trustees in general, but also knows what you expect of them as a trustee. For this reason, you may want to consider giving your nominated trustee these 5 Basic Tips for Trustees—and don’t forget to add your own personal requests as grantor.

    1. Make sure you read and understand the entire trust document. If you don’t have a legal background it is okay (preferable, in fact) to ask for help from an attorney.

    2. Always remember that the beneficiaries of the trust are your first priority and responsibility. Once you are trustee you have what is called a “fiduciary duty” to always act in the best interests of the beneficiaries.

    3. Make sure that the trust has its own separate checking account. If the trust is a living trust you as trustee will likely be the person who creates that separate account after the death of the grantor. Under no circumstances should a trustee mingle personal finances with trust finances.

    4. Maintain regular contact with the beneficiaries; not just to provide them with regular accountings of trust activity or investments, but also so you yourself can remain aware of the lifestyle, needs, and feelings of all the beneficiaries.

    5. Be sure you have a support team that will benefit the trust and the beneficiaries. Get investment advice from a financial professional; have a trusted attorney help with any legal questions you might have; hire a mediator to help if there are irreconcilable differences amongst the beneficiaries. The goal here is not to spend the trust funds frivolously, but to protect and preserve trust assets as the grantors would have wished for their beneficiaries.

    Posted in Estate and Trust Administration, Estate Planning | No Comments »

    Speculation About the Estate of Steve Jobs Continues

    Friday, December 2nd, 2011

    The public has been curious about the estate of Steve Jobs ever since he passed away in early October, but with his assets wisely protected with a trust, his family’s privacy regarding the distribution of inheritance has remained intact. (Privacy is only one of the many benefits of using a trust as part of your estate plan.) However, what is not a secret is that Mr. Jobs’ significant investments in both Disney and Apple stock will pose some interesting questions for his advisors and heirs. Whatever the family chooses to do, it’s clear that estate tax and capital gains tax laws will have to be taken into consideration.

    This article in Investment News discusses what Jobs’ trustees or heirs might choose to do with his valuable investments. According to the article Jobs had billions of dollars invested in Apple and Disney stock. Now, “under the U.S. Tax Code, his heirs may sell shares of Apple and Disney, and avoid $867 million in capital gains taxes. If Apple’s late co-founder left his estate to his wife, Laurene Powell Jobs, the family won’t be liable for the 35% estate tax until she dies or gives money to others, according to estate planners.”

    An executor or trustee has a responsibility not only to follow the wishes of the grantor of the trust, but also to look out for the best interests of the beneficiaries; which in this case may include selling or diversifying investments Jobs had chosen to hold onto for sentimental reasons.

    Additionally, any executor or trustee will have tax laws to consider–not only the laws in place right now, but any changes to the estate or capital gains tax laws being considered by Congress for 2013. “The capital gains tax is set to rise to 20% in 2013, from 15%, and high-income Americans also will be subject to a 3.8% levy on unearned gains.” This means that advisors and heirs won’t want to wait too long before making any decisions.

    The estate of Steve Jobs may be larger than most, but the same issues and questions will face the executors, trustees, and heirs of estates of all sizes. Whether you are a grantor, executor, heir or trustee, our office can help you through any questions or concerns you may be facing. Don’t be afraid to contact us.

    Posted in Current Events, Estate and Trust Administration | No Comments »

    How to Cope After the Death of a Spouse

    Friday, October 7th, 2011

    Losing a spouse may be one of the most difficult life events that any of us have to deal with. A spouse is a parenting partner, a co-CFO, a best friend and a beloved soul mate. Losing the person who supports you in so many ways can create an emptiness which can be almost paralyzing.

    This is why it’s so important after the death of a loved one to have the support you need to get through the detail-oriented and often emotionally draining probate process, which includes tasks such as sorting through a financial history, submitting legal documents to the probate court, contacting creditors and family members, and more. Some people have family or friends to help with these time-consuming tasks, others enlist the help of an estate planning or probate attorney, but one thing is clear: no one should do it alone.

    Every family or couple will have a different experience with the probate process, but our firm would like to offer a basic list of universal “to-do” items to remember after the death of a spouse. We hope this will help give our readers a little bit of security during a very emotional and stressful time.

    * Obtain multiple copies of the death certificate
    * Gather any and all estate planning documents
    * Contact an estate planning attorney. Even if you don’t plan to retain an attorney, a brief initial consultation can help you understand the task ahead and prevent you from skipping important steps
    * Notify the person named as executor or trustee
    * Notify the necessary institutions or agencies (the deceased’s employer, social security administration, insurance company, creditors, post office, etc.)
    * Remove spouse’s name from all joint accounts or ventures, such as bank accounts, utility companies, credit card accounts, etc.
    * Pay final bills
    * Cancel accounts, subscriptions, etc.

    Depending on your situation and location, there may be many more tasks to be done. Additionally, if you are serving as executor or trustee (as many spouse’s do) there will be a great number of administrative tasks to be performed in addition to the ones on this list. Under these circumstances even the strongest and most capable people can feel overwhelmed. Remember that you don’t have to go through the process alone.

    Posted in Estate and Trust Administration, Estate Planning | No Comments »

    IRS Announces Another Extension for Estate Tax Filing Deadline

    Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

    Just a few weeks ago the IRS announced the November 15, 2011 estate tax filing deadline for large estates of decedents who passed away in 2010; but some executors might be relieved to know that the IRS recently extended the deadline to January 17, 2012.

    This extension gives executors of large estates more time to determine whether or not its in the best interests of the heirs to take advantage of the 2010 estate tax repeal. The decision facing executors of the 2010 estates is this:

    * Choose not to pay estate taxes, but subject the assets of the estate to carryover basis rules (meaning heirs will pay capital gains taxes based on the price of an asset when it was initially acquired by the decedent); or

    * Pay estate taxes under the 2011 rules, with a $5 million per-person exemption and a 35 percent top rate, but with a stepped-up income tax basis (meaning heirs will pay capital gains taxes on the price of an asset when it was inherited.)

    For any executors who haven’t already made the decision, they can now take more time to weigh the pros and cons, and maybe even enlist the advice of an estate planner, tax planner, or probate attorney to help walk them through any possible unexpected consequences. If you are an executor or an heir faced with this particular and time-sensetive issue, please don’t hesitate to contact our office for assistance.

    Posted in Current Events, Estate and Trust Administration, Estate Planning, Tax Planning | No Comments »

    Should Beneficiaries Also Serve as Executor or Trustee?

    Monday, August 29th, 2011

    When someone creates a will or a trust of course they want to choose a dependable and trustworthy person as executor or trustee. For most people this means someone close to them—a family member or friend, or often the most responsible of their adult children. However, this often means that the person they’ve chosen as executor or trustee is also a beneficiary. The question that occurs is this: Is it a conflict of interest to be both executor/trustee and beneficiary?

    As executor or trustee a person has a legal duty to manage the property in the decedent’s estate for the benefit of the trust or estate beneficiaries. This means that while the executor/trustee should be compassionate, he or she must act in an equal and unemotional manner toward ALL the beneficiaries.

    A beneficiary, on the other hand, is often by definition emotional. Even those beneficiaries who are not concerned with the monetary aspect of their inheritance (and let’s be honest, many heirs are more concerned with the dollar amount than they might let on) will likely be emotionally invested in the heirlooms of the estate. Many family feuds are sparked when siblings can’t agree on who gets the family silver or great grandma’s engagement ring. And the potential for conflict only increases when real estate is involved.

    If you are creating your will or trust, the best way to avoid this conflict is to be as specific as possible in your instructions to your executor and beneficiaries. Spelling out in no uncertain terms who gets the family silver will decrease the chances that the executor will be tempted to take advantage of his or her position. You may also want to consider naming a disinterested party as a trust advisor or co-executor to provide checks and balances throughout the administration process.

    If you are a beneficiary who is also serving as executor/trustee there are a few things you can do to ensure you keep your executor and beneficiary roles separate:

    * You may want to consider contacting a probate or estate planning attorney to mediate or oversee the process.

    * Rely on random but fair methods (such as flipping a coin, drawing straws, or organizing a round robin) to distribute unassigned personal property with emotional value.

    * Be sure to involve an impartial appraiser if real property is involved.

    * If all else fails, an executor or trustee is always permitted to step down and hand the role over to a qualified and disinterested party.

    Posted in Estate and Trust Administration, Estate Planning | No Comments »

    Executors of 2010 Estates Have Until Nov. 15 to Make Estate Tax Decisions

    Friday, August 19th, 2011

    Everyone will remember the “wonderful boon” that was the 2010 estate tax repeal, which (in theory) allowed decedents to pass on their assets free of any estate taxes. However, the situation was complicated in December of 2010 when, as this article in Bloomberg puts it, “Congress extended the tax retroactively [giving] executors of estates of people who died that year a choice. They could decide to skip the estate tax or pay the tax with a $5 million per-person exemption and a 35 percent top rate, the same as in 2011.”

    Executors have had almost a year to consider their options, but now it is just about time to make the decision, because “the Internal Revenue Service is giving executors of estates of people who died in 2010 until Nov. 15 to opt out of the estate tax.” According to the IRS the forms and instructions for 2010 estate tax returns will be made available early this fall.

    But executors don’t have to wait until the forms are available to consider which tax option might be the most profitable one. Many financial planners and estate planning attorneys have already done their research, and they’ve found that opting not to pay estate taxes may end up costing you more in the long run. This article in Forbes explains: “Opting out of the estate tax regime means opting out of stepped-up basis (for income tax purposes)… and opting into the modified carryover basis rule… One of the main plusses about estate tax is that it is paired with a stepped-up income tax basis. You should not be paying both estate tax and income tax on the same assets.”

    Of course, each estate will be different depending on a number of factors, including the size of the estate, the nature of the assets, the preferences of the beneficiaries, and any previous planning the decedent may have done. Executors should consider their options carefully, and consult with an experienced estate planning attorney before deciding whether opting out of the estate tax is really in their best interest.

    Posted in Current Events, Estate and Trust Administration | 1 Comment »

    Retirement Assets May Be Unpleasant Surprise for Heirs

    Friday, July 29th, 2011

    You’ll often read news articles or blog posts about saving for retirement—when to start, how much to save, what savings or investment plan is best—but there’s an important retirement topic which often goes underreported: How these retirement accounts impact your heirs.

    As noted by this article in the Wall Street Journal, “The new, higher threshold for the federal estate tax has many heirs happily thinking they won’t have to surrender a big piece of their inheritance.” But these heirs “may need to think again if they’re in line to receive a lot of money from tax-protected retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs.”

    Many (if not most) retirement assets these days are IRD assets, this is “income in respect of a decedent,” and it means that the assets are income earned by a person, but not taxed or received before that person passed away. These IRD assets can be wonderfully beneficial to the investor… but they can be an unpleasant surprise for heirs, who will end up paying the taxes on these assets.

    “Heirs who receive retirement accounts often pay far more tax on IRD than they have to, collecting payments from the plan but failing to take an annual deduction that is available to beneficiaries. Sometimes that’s because the tax attorney who planned the estate knew about the deduction, but the accountant who prepares the heir’s taxes doesn’t.”

    Some of the solutions suggested in the article are to take advantage of a recent rule change which allows many IRD savings accounts to be converted to Roth 401(k)s. Taking advantage of this and converting the money to a Roth allows the owner to pay any applicable taxes now, so that heirs won’t be liable. Another option is to move money from the IRD retirement account into an irrevocable life insurance trust, thus removing it from the taxable estate.

    “People need to refocus their thinking on what heirs are truly inheriting.” Our office can help you do just that. A little bit of thought and action now can save your heirs a lot of taxes and confusion down the line, and this is especially true if you are lucky enough to have a significant amount of savings that you anticipate passing on to your children or grandchildren.

    Posted in Estate and Trust Administration, Estate Planning, Retirement Planning | No Comments »

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