You may have heard that 2010 is the year without an estate tax. It’s caused some people to suggest that if you have to pick a year to die, pick 2010.

Not so fast!

In the absence of the death tax this year, there is a substitute tax system that is likely to collect more money from more people upon their deaths. This one-year system will seriously impact the way they planned for their property to pass to their loved ones. To make things even more complicated, most living trusts aren’t equipped to deal with the 2010 rules.

Anyone who didn’t plan with an attorney who prepared for this year’s issues should have their trust reviewed and quite possibly restated.

If you have a child with special needs, there are some things you absolutely must know about estate planning. First, failing to plan will jeopardize any needs-based government benefits your child receives. That’s because California law (i.e., the laws of “intestacy”) will determine how much your child gets from your estate. Think of everything you  Read more…

Together with one of our clients, I discussed special needs planning with radio host Jeffrey Callison this morning. We were featured on a segment of Insight on Capital Public Radio. Many thanks to Jill Swett for helping me to raise awareness about this kind of planning, which is absolutely critical for parents of children with  Read more…