News & Articles

Can Mediation be the Referee in Your Estate Battle?

…In general, the lasting anger and bitterness of litigation doesn't seem to occur when matters are settled by mediation. Inheritance battles are nothing new. We see several of them make their way into courtrooms far and wide, exposing the fami… Read More
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Alzheimer’s Association Reports Alzheimer’s and Dementia are on the Rise

Already, 5.2 million Americans have Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia. Those numbers will jump to 13.8 million by 2050 … The latest numbers are in from the Alzheimer’s Association, and reports show one in three seniors dies with Alzhei… Read More
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Mind the Details with Inherited IRAs

Let's say that someone who is not your spouse recently died and named you as their IRA beneficiary. You now have what the IRS calls an “inherited IRA.” When you inherit money, once you receive it you can usually decide where it goes from the… Read More
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A Power of Attorney Can Produce a Thief in Disguise

Statistics on power of attorney abuse are hard to come by, but experts recognize it as a prevalent problem. There will come a time at which you will need to legally delegate someone to handle your financial matters. This legal delegation, known as a… Read More
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Tips for Leaving Your Business

Most exit plans I’ve dealt with are some combination of these three basic techniques. And, the lines that differentiate them can be fuzzy. Owning and running a business is tough stuff, and at times you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders… Read More
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High Court Sees an Estate Tax Case Regarding Same-Sex Marriage

In bringing her case to the Supreme Court, Windsor argues that DOMA violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection. DOMA backers say the law is valid. Same-sex marriage has been a controversial issue in American politics, and wil… Read More
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Decanting a Bottle of Wine …or an Irrevocable Trust?

"It's like decanting a bottle of wine; you pour the wine into a new bottle to air it out," says Mark Haranzo, a partner at law firm Withers Bergman. In trust terms, you pour the assets of an old trust into a brand-new trust that essent… Read More
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Planning Challenges for a Later-In-Life Marriage

…More than 40% of women and more than half of men over 50 who get divorced end up remarrying, according to Census Bureau data. For folks like these, all sorts of financial considerations can complicate the question of whether and how to go about re… Read More
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Don’t Delay Discussing Your End-Of-Life Wishes

This uncomfortable, ethically questionable, confusing scene over Ms. Bayliss’ end of life did not have to happen the way it did.  If you don’t want to be in that kind of situation, you need to be responsible for deciding what you want and co… Read More
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A Trustee’s Interpretation of a Trust: Prevention or Promotion?

I suspect that trustees are most often comfortable with a prevention-focused mindset. Here’s my take: Our ability to recognize and deliberately change our mindset just might be a game-changer. For all the laws and expectations put upon trust office… Read More
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