by Arthur Geffen | Sep 14, 2011 | Estate Attorney, Estate Lawyer, Probate
A court document from the Jefferson County Probate Court says the father of Natalee Holloway has filed a petition to declare his daughter legally dead. Originally reported by gossip site TMZ.com, a hearing is set for September 23rd in Judge Alan King’s...
by Arthur Geffen | Sep 13, 2011 | Estate Attorney, Estate Lawyer, Estate Planning, Estate Planning Solutions, Probate
One of the most common estate planning mistakes that people make is joint ownership. For the most part, we’re not talking about when a husband and wife have joint bank accounts or the title to their home is held in both of their names. While not ideal for...
by Arthur Geffen | Mar 9, 2011 | Estate Attorney, Estate Lawyer, Estate Planning, Estate Planning Solutions
So here’s a way to help Mom and Dad if you have made a lot of money! Grantor retained annuity trusts, or GRATs, allow wealthy children to pass investment gains to their parents or grandparents without dipping into their $5 million lifetime gift-tax exemptions. “It’s...
by Arthur Geffen | Mar 8, 2011 | Estate Lawyer, Estate Planning, Estate Planning Solutions
Would you like to leave money to descendants as distant from you as you are from the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock? It’s possible, if you set up a “Dynasty Trust.” The Obama administration, however, proposed restrictions on such trusts in its recently...
by Arthur Geffen | Mar 4, 2011 | Estate Attorney, Estate Lawyer
FLORIDA LAW HMM!!! – Interesting .. especially for second marriages… New legislation now allows filing pre-death caveats and improves the way caveats are administered. Florida’s Probate Code Section 731.110 now allows an individual who is apprehensive that an estate...
by Arthur Geffen | Mar 3, 2011 | Estate Lawyer, Estate Planning, Wills
An executor administers an estate and remains in charge until it is legally closed. Before that happens, the will must be admitted to probate — the system through which a court determines if it is a legally valid document. After that, creditors and taxes, if...
