April 16, 2010 is Health Care Decisions Day, a national campaign to encourage Americans to complete their advance directives, living wills, and basically document their preferences regarding medical treatment at the end of life.
Researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor have discovered that almost a third of patients over the age of [...]
Apr
30
2010
30
2010
Making Your Wishes Known at the End of Life
Apr
9
2010
9
2010
Estate Planning Red Flag
If you’ve recently divorced and haven’t yet revisited your estate plan, or don’t have one, you may be in for some surprises. It is important to review your estate plan to be sure that it does not confer any unintended benefits or rights on your former spouse. Here are some questions to consider:
1. Does [...]
Apr
7
2010
7
2010
Is the Price Right ?
Buy/Sell Agreements and Estate Planning
Generally, for a buy/sell agreement to establish the value of a business interest for estate planning purposes it must:
1. Be a bona fide business arrangement;
2. Not be a device for transferring the [...]
Apr
5
2010
5
2010
2010 The Year of No Estate Tax
The Economic Growth and Tax Reconciliation Act of 2001 eliminated estate taxes for 2010, though they will return with a vengeance in 2011. (The maximum rate, previously 45% with an exemption of 3.5 million, rises to 55% next year with an exemption of just 1 million.) Although many expect Congress to retroactively apply [...]
Apr
2
2010
2
2010
Study Shows Value of Living Will
A new study suggests that more than one in four of the elderly population will need someone to make their end-of-life decisions for them. This finding places a significant emphasis on the importance of creating a living will and stating after-life wishes explicitly. A living will is a statement that is written by the [...]