A Minneapolis Lawyer Discusses the Recent Hennepin County Probate Decision on Inheritance Rights for Same Sex Couples As a lawyer who specializes in the field of non-traditional families, I have to admit that this is an outcome that I would never have predicted. Two of my prior posts discussed the inheritance issue facing James Morrison…
Continue reading…Gay Marriage and Inheritance Rights in Minnesota, Part 2
A Minnesota Estate Planning Lawyer Discusses Issues Related to Estate Planning a Probate for Unmarried Couples My prior post discussed the facts of the unique case of Thomas Proehl and James Morrison, a male couple who legally married California before returning to Minnesota. Mr. Proehl died suddenly of a heart attack leaving a combined $250,000…
Continue reading…Planning Can Help Your Family Deal With Your Death
Planning for Your Final Sendoff Although most people don’t like to think about it, death is inevitable. It’s imperative that you have an estate plan in place that outlines your end of life wishes and how you would like your assets distributed upon your passing. As part of your planning, it’s important that you consider…
Continue reading…Gay Marriage and Inheritance Rights in Minnesota, Part I
Twin Cities Estate Planning Attorney Discusses Inheritance for Unmarried Couples UPDATE: August 2, 2012 – Then Hennepin County Probate Court has ruled that Mr. Morrison can inherit as the legal spouse of Mr. Proehl. A Hennepin County Probate Court is set to rule on the issue of whether gay couples who are legally married in…
Continue reading…Important Issues to Consider When Setting Up Your Estate Plan
Often estate planning focuses on the “big picture” issues, such as who gets what, whether a living trust should be created to avoid probate and tax planning to minimize gift and estate taxes. However, there are many smaller issues, which are just as critical to the success of your overall estate plan. Below are some…
Continue reading…How Much of Your Estate Will Be Left Out of Your Will? (It’s Probably More Than You Think)
How Much of Your Estate Will Be Left Out of Your Will? (It’s Probably More Than You Think) You’ve hired an attorney to draft your will, inventoried all of your assets, and have given copies of important documents to your loved ones. But your estate planning shouldn’t stop there. Regardless of how well your will…
Continue reading…6 Events Which May Require a Change in Your Estate Plan
6 Events Which May Require a Change in Your Estate Plan Creating a Will is not a one-time event. You should review your will periodically, to ensure it is up to date, and make necessary changes if your personal situation, or that of your executor or beneficiaries, has changed. As 2011 winds to a close,…
Continue reading…Proper Estate Planning for Your Retirement Accounts
Retirement Accounts and Estate Planning For many Americans, retirement accounts comprise a substantial portion of their wealth. When planning your estate, it is important to consider the ramifications of tax-deferred retirement accounts, such as 401(k) and 403(b) accounts and traditional IRAs. (Roth IRAs are not tax-deferred accounts and are therefore treated differently). One of the…
Continue reading…Property Ownership: Property Titling and Your Estate Plan
I recently met with a client to retitled a home so that an ex partner would no longer be on the deed. But, upon conducting a record’s search, we learned that the client had never added the ex to the title. It was still titled solely in my client’s name. This would have been great…
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