The election has been decided. The Democrats now control the White House as well as the House of Representatives. While the Senate is split 50/50, the Vice President can cast a tie-breaking vote in favor of Democratic legislation. President Biden and the Democrats have campaigned on increases in the estate tax. Also, there’s a reconciliation… continue reading
Keeping The Family Cottage Affordable For The Next Generation
One of the biggest barriers to passing a cottage to your children is affordability and more specifically property taxes. If transferring a cottage isn’t done in certain ways, the property taxes will be adjusted to the current value (or “uncapped” as we call it). This could result in a small change, but it more often… continue reading
Don’t Forget What’s Important to You When Doing Your Estate Plan
More than half of people in the United States give to charitable and faith-based organizations during their lives. However, it’s estimated that less than 10% leave a portion of their estate to these organizations when they pass away. It’s not known why there’s such a difference between these two time periods. Regardless of the reason,… continue reading
Business Owners: You Have Another Option For Charitable Planning
There are a variety of ways to financially support charitable organizations and their causes. The most common are giving cash and making out a check. But, other options (i.e. giving appreciated investments like stock, mutual funds, and real estate) are often better for income tax purposes. Business owners have another option because they own privately… continue reading
The Pitfalls of Co-Trustees Representing Your Trust
If the situation and relationship dynamics allow, I generally advise clients that want to choose co-trustees to administer their trust to allow them to act independent of one another. That way, the co-trustees can determine who should handle each task and work more efficiently. They can divide and conquer the tasks of selling real estate,… continue reading
Should You Choose One Trustee or Co-Trustees for Your Trust?
You have weighed the options and decided a trust makes sense for your estate planning goals. The most important thing you will consider when it comes to your trust is, “who to name as trustee”. A trustee is the person who is obligated to administer the trust, and make sure the instructions expressed in the… continue reading
Top Tips for Talking with Your Elderly Parents
Haans Mulder and Jessica Arends presented a seminar via Zoom on how to have tough conversations with parents or loved ones. Many times a parent will say, “it’s all taken care of” when asking about legal documents, health, and housing wishes. If more information was shared and crucial conversations were held, it could ease the… continue reading
This May Be The Time To Plan
COVID has exposed or reminded us of a number of difficult truths and one of them is the fragility of our health. We don’t know when we’ll have serious health issues or pass away. You can proactively help your family or loved ones by setting up an estate plan that gives them a legal roadmap… continue reading
Patient Advocate Selection
Attorney: Who would you like to make medical decisions for you if your spouse is unable to? Client: Can I name all my children to act together? It is difficult to identify the person to place this great responsibility on. I often remind clients that although the person they select may feel honored that they… continue reading
Is It Time To Start Thinking About Succession Planning For Your Cottage?
Summer is the season for cottages and enjoying lakes. Cottages are places where family and friends enjoy time together and create memories. For many families, cottages are an important part of their relationships and as their children get older, they eventually come back with their own kids. It becomes an experience that can be enjoyed… continue reading
