Filed Under: Trust & Estates Law
Important Trusts and Estates Tax Changes Could Come in 2022
On March 25, 2021, Senators Sanders, Gillibrand, Reed, Van Hollen, and Whitehouse released a bill to the Senate that, if signed into law, will cause substantial changes to the Internal Revenue Code that pertain, among other things, to estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes.. A similar bill was read into the House by Representative Gomez. […]
Filed Under: Trust & Estates Law
Attention Parents: Are Your Kids Headed to College during the COVID-19 Pandemic? Here’s Why They Need Powers of Attorney
A power of attorney is a document that allows someone to appoint an agent to act on their behalf in the event that they become incapacitated or unable to make decisions on their own. These documents relate to financial and healthcare matters. One of the greatest benefits of a power of attorney is that it […]
Filed Under: Trust & Estates Law
The SECURE Act
The SECURE (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) Act which was signed into law in late December makes wide ranging changes effecting IRAs, 401(k)s and other qualified retirement plans and retirement plan beneficiaries. The provisions in the Act may require changes to existing estate plans and will necessarily shape future plans. Some of the […]
Filed Under: Trust & Estates Law
Why Your 18 Year-Old Needs Powers of Attorney for Finances and Healthcare
As parents, you may not realize that once your child turns 18 years-old, federal and state law restrict your ability to access your child’s healthcare records and to make healthcare and financial decisions on your child’s behalf. This becomes problematic if your adult child were ever to become incapacitated, and unable to make those decisions […]
Filed Under: Appellate Law Trust & Estates Law
Court of Appeals: Statute of Frauds Does Not Nix Unsigned Agreement to Convey Property Upon Death
The Wisconsin Court of Appeals recently adjudicated a dispute about the legal standard applicable to a decades-old contract to transfer property after the owner’s death. See Haug v. Greve, 2015AP54 (April 26, 2016). The case involved the common law statute of frauds, as well as two Wisconsin statutes adopted at the very end of the […]
Filed Under: Appellate Law Municipal Law Trust & Estates Law
Wisconsin Supreme Court Holds that Milwaukee Cannot Enforce City Employee Residency Requirements
In Milwaukee Police Association v. City of Milwaukee, 2016 WI 47, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that Wis. Stat. § 66.0502 precludes the City from enforcing its residency requirement. For many years, the City of Milwaukee has required its city employees to reside within city limits as a condition of employment. On June 20, 2013, […]
Filed Under: Trust & Estates Law
Recent Case Highlights the Importance of Clarity and Follow Through In Avoiding Family Disputes
The recent Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision In the Matter of the Living Trust of Margaret Sheedy and Patrick Sheedy highlights not only the importance of clear drafting, but also follow through in avoiding family disputes in estate planning. The case involves a dispute between six siblings regarding the treatment of their parent’s cabin in […]
Filed Under: Trust & Estates Law
Same-Sex Couples May Now Benefit from Portability of Estate Tax Exemptions
Stafford Rosenbaum’s Laura Skilton Verhoff, a partner in the firm’s Madison office, has been named to The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation. Integral support to the American Bar Foundation is provided by The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation, an honorary organization of lawyers, judges, and legal scholars whose public and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the welfare of their communities and to the highest principles of the legal profession.
Filed Under: Trust & Estates Law
The Best Laid Plans: Avoiding Three Common Estate Planning Mistakes
Stafford Rosenbaum LLP is a proud sponsor of the Madison Parks Foundation and the upcoming Picnic in the Park event. Watch an interview with Stafford Rosenbaum attorney and Madison Parks Foundation Secretary, Kyle Engelke, to learn more about the foundation and upcoming event!
Filed Under: Trust & Estates Law
Five Estate Planning Considerations for People Going Through Divorce
Six Stafford Rosenbaum attorneys have been selected for "Best Lawyers 2017 Lawyer of the Year." Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year,” making this accolade particularly significant.
Filed Under: Trust & Estates Law
Who needs a Will?
A Will is the formal legal document setting out who receives your property at your death and who should oversee the process of gathering, inventorying and distributing your assets. Who needs a Will? In short, most people. For many the key motivation to creating a Will is to set out who should inherit their property. […]
Filed Under: Trust & Estates Law
Estate Planning for Your Digital Assets
So your estate plan carefully addresses disposing of your home, car and bank account. But what about your digital assets? There are two different types of digital assets. One type is assets such as bank and investment accounts that you manage online which are really no different than accounts you manage with a paper trail. […]
