Estate Planning

Is a Financial Plan Enough? Why Experts Say You Need an Estate Plan, Too

If you want to leave a robust financial legacy for your family, a financial plan alone is like trying to guide a boat with just one oar. It’s only part of the big picture for your overall monetary health. A well-informed financial plan is worth your time for several reasons, but let’s look at how financial and estate planning can work in tandem to create the best possible future for you and your family in the years to come:

What’s included in a financial plan

Financial planners take stock of an individual’s fiscal landscape and come up with approaches to maximize his or her overall financial well-being. Take Emily for instance, an energetic project manager in her late-twenties. She’s found a successful career track after graduating with her bachelor’s and now has the steady income necessary to start daydreaming about buying a house with bay windows like the one she passes on her morning commute.

But before she can take such a big leap, Emily tracks down a skilled financial planner who will take an honest look at her foreseeable cash flow and her spending and saving habits. People from all walks of life use the help of financial planners to make sure they’re in good shape for making big purchases, saving for their children’s education, and ensuring a comfortable retirement. This also includes developing an investment portfolio, which the financial planner monitors and manages.

But financial planning only goes so far. To have a comprehensive approach, Emily also must also consider her estate and the wills and trusts she should put in place so her assets go where she wants them to in the long run. That’s where a trusts and estates attorney comes in.

What’s included in an estate plan

Estate planning attorneys are lawyers who give sound advice about what will happen to a person’s assets if he or she becomes mentally incapacitated or when he or she dies. While this may not sound like the sunniest of topics, knowing that what you pass on to your family will be legally protected lets you focus on enjoying the best things in life without worrying about your loved ones’ futures. Estate planning includes defining how you want your loved ones to benefit from the financial legacy you leave behind, implementing tactics to protect your assets from creditors down the road, providing a framework so your loved ones can make medical decisions on your behalf when you can’t, developing strategies to help you reduce estate taxes, and more.

And at the end of the day, your attorney is a teacher. He or she should be equipped to clearly explain your legal options. Even though estate planning can be highly technical, your professional bond with your attorney can and should feel like a friendly partnership since it involves taking an honest look at many personal wishes and priorities. There is no one-size-fits-all estate plan, so choose an attorney whom you trust and enjoy working with and who is responsive to questions and needs.

Remember Emily? While financial planning helped her get from point A to point B with some pretty big money milestones, she now knows she needs an estates and trusts attorney to make sure her wishes are carried out and her money stays in the right hands—her family’s.

How these two efforts work together

There are several ways these two components of your financial wellness work in harmony. Asking your financial planner and estate planning attorney to collaborate is common practice, so don’t be concerned that what you’re asking is outside their regular scope of work. Knowing who else advises you will help both parties get the information they need do their jobs at peak effectiveness. For example, your estate planning attorney may prepare a living trust for you, but your financial planner may help you transfer certain assets into that trust.

What are you waiting for?

If you already have a financial planner and are thinking about working with a trusts and estates attorney, you’re in an excellent position. We can often collaborate with your advisor to begin working on your estate plan. This might save you time and money, as we’ll get up to speed with the help of your financial planner.

The right time to plan your estate is right now. The sooner you put yourself and your family in a position to rest easy knowing a solid plan is in place, the better. And now that you know your financial plan is a wonderful start—but not a complete solution—you’re ready to take the first step on the path to total financial security.

Is Your Estate Plan as Stale as Last Week’s Ham Sandwich? 5 Reasons to Update Your Estate Plan

Estate plans are almost magical: They allow you to maintain control of your assets yet protect you should you become incapacitated. They take care of your family and pets. And, if carefully crafted, they reduce fees, taxes, stress, and time delays. Estate plans can even keep your family and financial affairs private. But one thing estate plans can’t do is update themselves.

Estate plans are written to reflect your situation at a specific point in time. While they have some flexibility, the bottom line is that our lives continually change and unfold in ways we might not have ever anticipated. Your plan needs to reflect those changes. If not, it will be as stale as last week’s ham sandwich and may fail miserably when needed the most.

If anything in the following 5 categories has occurred in your life since you signed your estate planning documents, call us now to schedule a meeting. We’ll get you in ASAP to make sure you and your family are still protected.

Marriage, Divorce, Death. Marriage, remarriage, divorce, and death all require substantial changes to an estate plan. Think of all the roles a spouse plays in our lives. We’ll need to evaluate beneficiaries, trustees, successor trustees, executors/personal representatives, and agents under powers of attorney.
Change in Financial Status. A substantial change in financial status – positive or negative – generally requires an estate plan update. These changes can be the result of launching, winding down, or selling a business; business and professional success; filing bankruptcy; suffering a medical crisis; retiring; receiving an inheritance; or even winning the lottery.
Birth, Adoption, or Death of a Child / Grandchild. The birth or adoption of a child or grandchild may call for the creation of gifting trusts, 529 education plans, gifting plans, and UGMA / UTMA (Uniform Gifts to Minors Act / Uniform Transfers to Minors Act) accounts. We’ll also need to reevaluate beneficiaries, trustees, successor trustees, executors/personal representatives, and agents under powers of attorney.
Change in Circumstances. Circumstances change. It’s a fact of life – and when you’re the beneficiary or fiduciary of an estate plan, those changes may warrant revisions to the plan. Common examples include:
Children and grandchildren attain adulthood and are able to serve in trusted helper roles (successor trustee, executor/personal representative, and agent under powers of attorney)
- Relationships change and different trusted helpers need to be named
- Beneficiaries or trusted helpers develop overspending or drug / gambling habits
- Guardians, executors, or trustees are no longer able (or no longer wish) to serve in their previously assigned roles
- Beneficiaries become disabled and need a special needs trust to receive government benefits
- Guardians for minor children divorce, move to a new state, or are otherwise no longer appropriate to serve
Changes in Venue. Moving from one state to another always warrants an estate plan review, as states’ laws differ. Changes may be needed to ensure that you’re taking full advantage of – and not being penalized by – your new state’s laws. This is also true when purchasing a second home outside of your state.

Estate Plans Are Created to Help, Not Hurt, You

Old estate plans get stale just like old sandwiches do. You wouldn’t rely on last week’s ham sandwich for lunch; please don’t rely on your estate plan from yesteryear. If you’ve experienced any of the changes we’ve mentioned in this article, call or contact us today. We’ll review your estate plan and make sure you and your loved ones are protected.

Three Keys to Protecting Yourself from a Rogue Executor

Unfortunately, sometimes a death in the family can bring out the worst in people. Indeed, family resentments sometimes simmer during a time of grieving – particularly when money and assets from the deceased’s estate are involved. If you are a beneficiary under a loved one’s estate plan, you may be under the assumption that those assets will be distributed according to his or her wishes. Inheritance theft, however, is an under reported problem that can cost families dearly. Moreover, the theft can be perpetrated by someone who was highly trusted by the decedent – the executor, who is the person typically chosen by the decedent to manage the estate upon his or her death or incapacity. Thankfully, you have the ability to deter a thief from stealing your inheritance and the inheritance of other beneficiaries of the estate.

Safeguard Your Inheritance

There are several ways in which you can ensure that you will not lose your inheritance due to theft perpetrated by a rogue executor. The following are three basic ways to do so:

Knowledge is key: First, be sure to have information about the trust or estate and its assets. You should not get push back when requesting this. As a beneficiary of the estate, you almost always have a legal right to an inventory and accounting of the estate. This is a summary of all the transactions and assets of an estate or trust and should come with supporting documentation such as receipts or cancelled checks. Even though the executor or trustee is in charge of the assets, he or she is legally required to report on the assets and transactions as well as act in the best interests of the beneficiaries.
Document, document, document: Whether it is a phone call or an in-person meeting, be sure to document everything in writing. Be sure to confirm details such as what you asked for, what you learned, what you received (or did not receive), etc. Courts across the country often place greater weight on written evidence than on verbal testimony.
Get outside help: Understand that emotions run high when a loved one has passed away. This can sometimes cloud our judgment, making legally required or authorized actions performed by the executor seem hurtful. Assistance from a third party can help make sure your rights are protected so that neither you nor the estate are unnecessarily tied down with the expense and stress of court battles.

While the best way to protect your wishes is through a well-drafted estate plan – which includes a detailed will, power of attorney, and trust that appoints multiple individuals as executors – inheritance theft still happens. Theft can occur through undocumented loans, denigration of other heirs, destruction or forgery of documents, or embezzling, to name a few.

Bottom Line

While laws vary from state-to-state regarding how an heir can establish that his or her inheritance has been hijacked or is in danger of being stolen, there are certain basic rights an heir or beneficiary can count on. To learn more, call or contact us today.

4 Tips For Avoiding a Will or Trust Contest

A will or trust contest can derail your final wishes, rapidly deplete your estate, and tear your loved ones apart. But with proper planning, you can help your family avoid a potentially disastrous will or trust contest.

If you are concerned about challenges to your estate plan, consider the following:

Do not attempt “do it yourself” solutions. If you are concerned about an heir contesting your estate plan, the last thing you want to do is attempt to write or update your will or trust on your own. Only an experienced estate planning attorney can help you put together and maintain an estate plan that will discourage lawsuits and ensure all legal formalities are followed.

Let family members know about your estate plan. When it comes to estate planning, secrecy breeds contempt. While it is not necessary to let your family members know all of the intimate details of your estate plan, you should let them know that you have taken the time to create a plan that spells out your final wishes and who they should contact if you become incapacitated or die.

Use discretionary trusts for problematic beneficiaries. You may feel that you have to completely disinherit a beneficiary because of concerns that he or she will squander their inheritance or use it in a manner that is against your beliefs or harmful to them. However, there is an alternative to disinheriting someone. For example, you can require that the problematic beneficiary’s share be held in a lifetime discretionary trust and name a neutral, third party, such as a bank or trust company, as trustee. This will ensure that the beneficiary will receive his or her inheritance according to the terms and conditions you have dictated, while keeping the money out of the hands of unintended parties, such as creditors or an ex-spouse. You will also be able to control who will inherit the balance of the trust if the beneficiary dies before the funds are completely distributed.

Keep your estate plan up to date. Estate planning is not a one-time transaction – it is an ongoing process. Therefore, as your circumstances change, you should update your estate plan. An up-to-date estate plan shows that you have taken the time to review and revise your plan as your family and financial situations change. This, in turn, will discourage challenges since your plan will encompass your current estate planning goals.

By following these four tips, your heirs will be less likely to challenge your estate planning decisions and will be more inclined to fulfill your final wishes. If you are concerned about heirs contesting your will or trust, please contact us as soon as possible.

Updating Your Revocable Trust

How Many “Tweaks” Are Too Many?

If your life or the law has changed since you signed your trust, it needs to be updated. Updates can be made by way of an amendment – or – a complete restatement. An amendment updates a specific part of the trust, whereas, a restatement, updates the entire trust. You might think that an amendment would cost less than a restatement, but that’s not necessarily true. Let’s chat about which is best for you.

Amendments vs. Restatements: Which Is Better?

Imagine a recipe card you’ve used for years. If one or two provisions have been crossed out and replaced, the card may still be readable. However, if many provisions have been altered, the recipe is likely confusing. If your loved ones can’t read your instructions and determine whether to add a cup of flour or a cup of sugar, your recipe won’t work. You’ve got a 50/50 chance for a great dish – or a complete disaster.

The same can be said about revocable trust. Making one or two amendments is generally acceptable, but when revisions are numerous or comprehensive, your instructions may become confusing, and you may be better served with a restatement.

Although amendments are generally used to make smaller changes and restatements are used for larger ones, there’s no bright line rule when it comes to amending or restating a revocable trust. A general guideline to follow is that anytime you’re making more than two changes, restatements are likely better as they:

Foster ease of understanding and administration
Tend to avoid ambiguity
Reduce the amount of paperwork to retain and provide to financial institutions / parties
Decrease the risk of misplacement
Prevent beneficiaries from discovering prior terms
Provide an opportunity to provide other relevant updates, such as changes in the law

In many cases, a restatement may actually be more cost effective than amendments. This is especially true today as computer software allows estate planning attorneys to create and retain documents easily and efficiently. Fortunately, today, you pay for legal counseling, not typing.

Have Questions About Updating Your Trust? We Can Provide Answers

Before deciding whether to amend or restate, it’s important to determine whether previous changes have inadvertently altered your intent or might adversely affect how the trust is administered. We’ll help make your instructions clear.

Have questions? If you do, that’s normal. We can provide you with answers. Whatever your circumstances, rest assured that we can help you to determine the best way to update your trust. Call us today and we’ll help make your instructions are up-to-date and crystal clear.

Your Estate Planning Binder: Tips for Proper Care and Maintenance

You finally crossed “getting your estate plan done” off your list, and you’ve (rightly) breathed a huge sigh of relief. By tackling this challenge, you’ve not only established protections for your loved ones and legacy, but you’ve also freed up some important “mental space” that had previously been preoccupied.

Once you create the documents that make up your estate plan, your estate planning attorney will prepare a binder containing all pertinent documentation. This estate planning binder is critical because it provides key information regarding your intentions after you pass away or if you become incapacitated. Once your trust is fully funded, your binder should also contain information about your assets. This makes administration easier for your family. This binder should be stored safely, reviewed regularly, and updated, when necessary, in order to avoid confusion when your loved ones need to refer to it.

Before we get into the nuts and bolts about how to complete this review process – to help you stay in control now that you’re there – let’s first take a step back and clarify a point that confuses many clients. Your estate plans and your financial plans for the future are two completely different things. They are both obviously important, and they both should be kept in a safe place and reviewed often. However, the estate planning binder has special importance because it contains your wishes and instructions for what should happen if you become incapacitated and when you die… as well as who should be in charge of what at those times. But this binder is not the same thing as your financial plan. Your financial plan is a comprehensive plan of the assets you have now (and the assets you may need in the future) to help you achieve your goals in life.

Where to Keep Your Estate Planning Binder

Your estate planning binder should be kept in a safe place along with your other important financial information. We recommend keeping it secured in a safe deposit box at your local bank or in a fireproof strong box if you keep the documents at home. You can make photocopies or scans of the documentation for your own use if you wish to refer to them more frequently or have them as a backup. Remember though, the original documents have legal significance, so don’t create a situation where your family is forced to attempt to rely on copies – you need to safeguard your originals!

Who Should Have Access to the Binder?

You obviously have discretion regarding who can access your personal financial information. However, strongly consider retaining direct access yourself until circumstances require someone else to step in to take control. If you keep the binder in a safe deposit box, for example, you could keep a spare key in your home or office and notify your attorney, next of kin, or successor trustee as to the key’s location in case they need to use it. Talk to your bank about what limited access rights to the safe deposit box might be available.

How Often to Review Or Update Your Binder?

Your financial situation is likely to change over time – and perhaps more critically, other powerful and unexpected life events can shift your priorities and necessitate an adjustment to your plan.

For instance, the death of a spouse or life partner, a new marriage, an illness or accident that affects your child’s future, a sudden job loss or the surprising success of a business venture that you’ve plugged away at for years, or even a spiritual epiphany can reshuffle what’s important to you.

These events can also limit or constrain what’s possible for your future. Without renegotiating these commitments in a conscious way, you’ll likely feel intangible unease about them. The moral is that your binder should be reviewed periodically and updated to reflect the changes that happen in your life.

As a rule of thumb, we recommend reviewing your estate plan as follows:

A quick review once a year
A thorough review every 3-5 years to ensure the documents reflect your current finances and intentions
Any time you experience a significant increase or decrease in income or wealth
Any time you experience a major life change, such as a birth, marriage, or death in the family
Any time you consider a change in who you want to benefit from your estate plan

Keeping your estate planning binder secure and up to date will reduce confusion and likelihood of disputes when others need to enact your wishes for your estate. As always, we are here to help. For peace of mind, call or contact us to review or amend your current plan.

What Sumner Redstone’s Estate Planning Challenges Can Teach Us

Media mogul Sumner Redstone the owner of CBS and Viacom, among other holdings allegedly created quite an estate planning mess, according to a recent report in the New York Times. A June 2^nd article reports that “with a fortune estimated at over $5 billion, Sumner M. Redstone could afford the best estate planning that money could buy. What he ended up with is a mess — no matter the outcome of the welter of lawsuits swirling around him.”

Here are five lessons from the business titan’s problems:

Avoid making decisions that could complicate both your public image and your business situation. The New York Times reported that “A lawsuit brought by Manuela Herzer, one of Mr. Redstone’s late-in-life romantic partners, stripped him of whatever dignity he might have hoped to retain by publicly revealing humiliating details about his physical and sexual appetites and his diminishing mental capacity.”
Define “incapacity.” Mr. Redstone did (smartly) establish an irrevocable trust. However, his case is also a cautionary tale: if you’re going to tie asset transfers or succession plans to your own mental state, you must define “incapacity.” If you don’t, the state will. A seemingly trivial semantic argument like that could tie your estate up in court for years, pitting family members against one another in an embarrassing public battle.
Create a clear succession plan. Leave no doubt. Clarify how your businesses will be managed and by whom. Step down from leadership while you are mentally capable of making that decision and give a safe and clear hand off to your successor. If you can, it’s much better to be deliberate and thoughtful about handoffs of authority, rather than waiting until things become unmanageable.
Make crystal clear what role your children will play once you are gone. Disenfranchised or estranged family members can wreak havoc on your fortune if you don’t clarify what roles they will play in your business, your trusts, and your legacy after you are gone. If you don’t spell out those roles, a court will. If you really want to, you can disinherit someone. But you need to make sure you do it the right way for it to be legally effective.
Hire a qualified lawyer to troubleshoot your plan and help you game out contingencies. A lawyer with significant estate planning experience can help you deal both with the “known unknowns” and the “unknown unknowns” that can throw your estate planning strategy off course. The more complex your estate is, the more involved your attorney should be.

Estate Planning for Rental Property Owners

In all parts of the country, services such as Airbnb have grown in popularity over the past few years. Indeed, these alternatives to hotel stays are popular among homeowners and vacationers alike. If you have a home or other rental property that is generating income, you should understand the following asset protection and estate planning considerations.

Protecting Owners from Liability

Just like any rental relationship, there is risk for the property owner. If anyone is hurt on the premises during their stay – no matter how short – a property owner could be held legally and financially liable for injuries suffered.

The first line of defense is general liability insurance – assuming there is proper and sufficient coverage on the property. In the case of a lawsuit the insurance company should step in and defend the claim up to the policy’s limits. Any damages beyond that may become a personal liability to the owner, depending upon how the property is titled.

If the property is owned by a limited liability company (LLC) instead of the individual(s), then the individual member(s) of the LLC may have some additional protection if the liability insurance coverage limits are not sufficient to cover the total amount of financial liability. It is important to note that in order to receive liability protection through the use of an LLC, the entity must be formed correctly and managed properly. If the entity is viewed as merely an “alter ego” of the member(s), the court may not uphold the liability protection, placing the property owner(s) back on the hook. To ensure that you have the most protection available, you need to consult with an attorney.

Estate Planning Considerations

Beyond liability in the event of an incident, deciding how an asset will be passed from generation to generation is an important part of estate planning. This is particularly true if such property is lucrative – like income-generating rental property. If the real estate is held in an LLC, you have options. You may choose to divide up the membership interest of the LLC among the multiple beneficiaries. With an income producing asset, such as a rental property, it is important to consider your family’s situation and your ultimate goals for the property.

Using an LLC is also helpful for estate planning because you can gift some of the membership interests during your lifetime without losing control, transfer it at the time of your death to the beneficiaries, or have it held by a trust for the benefit of the beneficiaries. Regardless of your personal situation or goals, there is a solution for everyone.

Determining whether or not to use an LLC for rental property is just one aspect of the overall estate planning process. We can guide you through your legal options and help ensure your property is protected and distributed at your death according to your wishes. Do not leave this to chance, call or contact us today to learn more.