SPATs

Estate planning often focuses on where property passes at death, either via a revocable trust or a last will and testament.  In some cases, however, a client may want to make gifts of property during lifetime, or they may be advised to do…

Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (“SLATs”) are ubiquitous in estate planning. As clients plan to use the exemption before it is reduced by half in 2026, the issue of access to SLAT assets is key. Those with sufficient wealth may avoid any…

Year-end tax planning for 2022 is different from prior years. Practitioners might recommend traditional annual gift planning but for some (perhaps many) clients, annual gifts may not be worthwhile.

Asset protection planning remains vital for many if not most clients. For the past few years, clients have been hyper-focused on planning for tax changes that have not happened, practitioners should re-focus clients on the importance of…

How can practitioners (CPAs, wealth advisers, attorneys, and insurance consultants) assist clients in the operation and administration of irrevocable trusts?  What preliminary steps might be helpful to take to guide clients on proper trust…

Given the current economy and the uncertainty of today’s political climate, many in the estate planning field have their eyes on Washington, D.C., looking to see if dramatic changes to the current transfer tax structure could be imminent.…

What are the most popular documents in InterActive Legal? It’s an interesting question, and one we consider frequently as we work to bring our subscribers the most useful drafting resources. We could take a survey and the results would…

In our April subscriber drafting webinar, we will review changes and enhancements that have been made to InterActive Legal practice systems over the past year.

Many have correctly pointed out that the current extremely low interest rates and depressed asset values – along with the high transfer tax exemption – set up, in some ways, an ideal environment for estate tax planning. This presentation…

This article discusses the "special power of appointment trust," designed to provide asset protection while providing a means for the grantor to benefit from the trust property, should the need arise.