A New Era of Attorneys
By Jessica L. Estes
Effective July 1, 2018, for individuals dying on or after January 1, 2019, the Maryland estate tax exemption will be $5 million. This is a drastic change from the 2014 law that gradually increased the Maryland estate tax exemption each year until 2019 when it was scheduled to match the federal basic exclusion amount.
By Jessica L. Estes
Currently, it is estimated that approximately one-third of the U.S. population provides care for a chronically ill, disabled, or aged family member and spends, on average, twenty hours per week providing that care. Caring for your aging parents is not an easy task. Not only can it be overwhelming, but it may cause stress in your life which can manifest itself in various ways, including illness, depression and/or anxiety, or strained family relationships. Read More
It’s that time of year again… the hustle and bustle of the holidays are upon us! If you are like me, you may still be searching for that perfect gift for everyone on your list. Perhaps this year, as you make your list and check it twice, you may want to consider a charitable remainder trust.
A charitable remainder trust is an irrevocable trust that allows the donor, or anyone else you name, to receive each year either a fixed dollar amount from the trust or a percentage (at least 5%) of the value of the trust. Read More
All too often will-seeking clients call the firm asking if we do “simple” wills, say they need a will, but don’t want one of those “long wills”, or claim to not have anything, so they just need a “basic” will. Most law firms will respond to the client, “Yes! We can do that!” But there are pitfalls that can arise, some foreseen and some unforeseen, when a person only has a “simple” will, and the client does not even know these potential pitfalls exist. Read More
One of the most common misconceptions is that if you are married and you die without a will, your spouse automatically gets everything. Unfortunately, that often is not the case. Instead, it depends on several factors. First, if you have any joint accounts, those accounts will pass automatically to the joint account holder. Second, if you have a named beneficiary on any account or asset, that account or asset will pass automatically to the designated beneficiary. Read More
It’s that time of year again when the kids head out to the bus stop in the morning to start a new year of learning, eager for what lies ahead. These children aspire to do great things, but with the rising costs of undergraduate education, families need to start saving earlier and the sooner the better. A 529 plan may be the answer and could benefit your estate plan as well.Read More
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