People who are crafting their first will at a relatively advanced age sometimes struggle with the specific provisions that are commonly included in such estate administration documents. They worry that their children will not receive their full inheritance if the younger generations get divorced. They also fret over whether their children will turn out to be good people; should the child still receive the inheritance Read More

As newer ways of conceiving children have been developed, many family and probate laws have had to change. Babies are born from surrogates, donors and in vitro fertilization, which can easily complicate probate and family law issues. One woman found out that her estate administration plans were not in order when she attempted to retrieve Social Security benefits for her children, who were born 18 months after their Read More

You've spent your whole life working to build your small business to your liking. You have invested money, time and effort into the venture, working tirelessly to ensure that it succeeds. But do you know what would happen to your business if you suddenly died? That's an important consideration for all small-business owners to ponder. Estate planning experts say that many small-business owners just assume that their Read More

The estate of the deceased "Playboy" playmate Anna Nicole Smith is facing serious tax trouble, after the Internal Revenue Service declared this week that it won't wait any longer for overdue payments. Poor estate administration in the years after the model's death may be to blame for the mix-up. The IRS claims that Smith's estate owes more than $300,000 in back taxes that have been pending for nearly 10 years. The Read More

Attorneys and clients both recognize that estate planning can be a constantly changing process. The plans can be affected by family circumstances and legal changes. Increased wealth, marriages and uncertain tax laws have led clients to periodically reevaluate their estate plans, a move encouraged by legal experts. By paying constant attention to their estate documents, clients can prevent last-minute document errors Read More

It can be discouraging for Florida residents who are planning an estate to realize that assets can be so heavily taxed on both the federal and state level. Estate administration includes finding the best way to preserve assets from one generation to the next, and trusts can be a great tool for doing so. Regulations on trusts vary from state to state, so consulting a local professional who knows the ins and outs of Read More