Often people wonder whether you can set up a trust without a lawyer. I am not often asked this question I imagine because most people probably assume that my answer, as an attorney, will be “Absolutely not!” However, that is…
It is difficult to prepare for every contingency in life. This is also true for creating a trust. When it comes to money, not everyone will see eye-to-eye, and disputes can arise. Just like any other legal dispute, if a…
As you may know, the annual gift tax exclusion is currently $14,000 per person, per year. However, due to the estate tax lifetime exemption amount of $5,450,000 (for 2016), the gift and estate tax has become either irrelevant or arbitrary…
When dealing with living trusts, the focus is often on what happens when the settlor passes away. But what if one of the beneficiaries of the living trust that you have set up dies? Do you need to amend the…
Good communication between a trustee and the trust beneficiaries is crucial to the smooth administration of the trust. Thus, while trustees should stay in contact with beneficiaries, there are times when a Trustee either should or must provide notification to…
