The Estate of The Union Season 3|Episode 10

The Estate of The Union Season 2|Episode 5 is out now!

January 12, 2023

The Estate of The Union Season 2|Episode 5 is out now!

Happy New Year! To kick off the first episode of 2023, host Brad Wiewel, sits down to discuss the Corporate Transparency Act and how it relates to trusts.

There is a Bad Moon Rising (to quote Creedence Clearwater Revival). The bad moon is the Corporate Transparency Act which is going to REQUIRE all LLCs, corporations and Limited Partnerships to register with the federal government! The law becomes effective January 1, 2024.

This podcast focuses on some of the provisions of the new law and the consequences and penalties for failure to comply. It is a MUST LISTEN if you or someone you know or work with has an entity, because this is SERIOUS STUFF!

In the podcast we mention that we have a new service we are providing called Business Shield™ . It is designed to maintain entities and keep them in compliance with both state, and now federal law. Simply click on Business Shield™ to be taken to the page on our website. Please let us know if you would like to discuss Business Shield™ with us and we’ll be happy to schedule a complimentary phone consultation with one of our attorneys.

In each episode of The Estate of The Union podcast, host and lawyer Brad Wiewel will give valuable insights into the confusing world of estate planning, making an often daunting subject easier to understand. It is Estate Planning Made Simple! The Estate of The Union Season 2|Episode 5 is out now! The episode can be found on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or anywhere you get your podcasts. If you would prefer to watch the video version, please visit our YouTube page. Please click on the link below to listen to the new installment of The Estate of The Union podcast. We hope you enjoy it.

Texas Trust Law focuses its practice exclusively in the area of wills, probate, estate planning, asset protection, and special needs planning. Brad Wiewel is Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. We provide estate planning services, asset protection planning, business planning, and retirement exit strategies.

Digital Assets need to be Included in Planning

January 11, 2023

Most of us don’t even realize just how much of our life is lived online, from streaming services and banking to apps to monitor our front door. All of these online accounts are digital assets and need to be included in estate planning says a recent article, “Estate planning and online accounts,” from American Legion.

Start by making a complete list of all of your online accounts, together with information about each account. Your list should include username, password, account number and a description of what each account includes. If you change passwords frequently, as recommended by cybersecurity experts, you’ll need to update your inventory every time.

Digital assets fall into four major types: personal, business, financial and social media. Personal accounts including emails, photos, videos, music and apps used on smart phones or tablets. This information is typically backed up on a computer hard drive or cloud-based storage account.

Financial assets include savings and checking accounts, retirement accounts, investment accounts, utility accounts and shopping and frequent flyer accounts. If you do banking or investing online, or if you own cryptocurrency, you’ll want to include these accounts.

Business related accounts include intellectual property, websites or blogs, written work, photos, videos, musical compositions and software. If your side gig includes selling items on eBay or Esty or similar websites, this information also needs to be included in your digital asset inventory.

Social media accounts include well-known platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Snapchat, WhatsApp and any other platform where you are actively engaged. Gaming sites, e-sports and gambling sites should also be included.

Storage and protection is the second part of a digital estate plan. This involves saving the list and backing up important files and account information. The inventory itself needs to be secured, as it could easily be used to access your identity and steal your entire online life. The inventory can be as simple as a list on a pad of paper, stored in a secure location. If it is stored in a digital manner, make sure it is encrypted. There are programs to store and encrypt passwords. However, they are only as good as the software used to create them.

Saving the information on a desktop, laptop or tablet is risky, since these devices are hacked and contents are compromised fairly often. An external thumb drive might work. However, what if it was lost?

Select a digital executor and discuss your digital assets with them. Many states have now passed laws governing digital assets. Speak with an experienced estate planning attorney to learn if yours is among them. On some platforms, the executor needs to have been named in advance as a legacy contact before they are legally permitted to access the digital asset. In many cases, having the user’s name and password doesn’t give the executor a legal right to access the accounts according to the Terms of Service Agreement (TOSA) between the user and the platform.

Your estate plan should include a letter of instruction to the digital executor to tell them specifically what you wish to happen to your online accounts and digital assets. It should include recommendations for the distribution of various accounts, assets, files and information to heirs. It may be needed to prove your wishes or directives for digital assets, if there should be a challenge to the executor.

Managing digital assets is a new and changing area of the law and need to be included in your estate planning. Making provisions for your digital estate will make it possible for your executor to protect your digital assets, as much as a traditional estate plan protects traditional, tangible property. If you would like to learn more about managing digital assets, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: American Legion (Dec. 13, 2022) “Estate planning and online accounts”

A Joint and Survivor Annuity is an Option

January 10, 2023

A joint and survivor annuity is an option to consider for some spouses. An annuity is a contract between an investor and a life insurance company. The purchaser of an annuity pays a lump-sum or several installments to the insurer, which then provides a guaranteed income for a certain period—or until their death.

Forbes’ recent article entitled “What Is A Joint And Survivor Annuity?” says that understanding an “annuitant” is key to understanding how a joint and survivor annuity works. An annuitant may be either the buyer or owner of an annuity or someone who’s been selected to get the annuity payouts. A joint and survivor annuity typically benefits joint annuitants: a primary annuitant and a secondary annuitant. Under this policy, both get income payments during the lifetimes of both the annuity owner and their survivor.

With joint life annuity, you can expect payments throughout the lifetime of the primary annuitant. If that person passes away, the survivor—the other annuitant—receives payouts that are the same as or less than what the original annuitant received. However, if the secondary annuitant dies ahead of the primary annuitant, survivor benefits aren’t paid when the primary annuity dies. The annuity buyer can designate themselves and another person, like their spouse, as joint annuitants.

A joint and survivor annuity differs from a single life annuity in a few ways:

A single-life annuity benefits only the annuity owner, so income payouts cease when that person dies; and
A single-life annuity usually pays out less than a joint and survivor annuity, since a single-life annuity covers just one life, while a joint and survivor covers two.

Under some joint and survivor annuities, the amount of the payout is decreased after the death of the primary annuitant. The terms of any decrease are set out in the annuity contract.

The payout to a surviving secondary annuitant, generally a spouse or domestic partner, ranges from 50% to 100% of the amount paid during the primary annuitant’s life, if the annuity was bought through certain tax-qualified retirement plans.

A joint and survivor annuity is an option to consider, but you need to ask these three questions before setting one up:

How much in payout is needed for both annuitants to support themselves?
Do you have other assets (like a life insurance policy) to help the surviving joint annuitant after one of the annuitants dies?
How much would the payouts be lessened after the death of a joint annuitant?

Remember that you usually can’t change the survivor named in a joint and survivor annuity. If you are interested in learning more about annuities in estate planning, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Forbes (Dec. 19, 2022) “What Is A Joint And Survivor Annuity?”

Preparing an Estate Inventory is Critical

January 9, 2023

The executor’s job includes gathering all of the assets, determining the value and ownership of real estate, securities, bank accounts and any other assets and filing a formal inventory with the probate court. Preparing an estate inventory is critical to having a smooth probate. Every state has its own rules, forms and deadline for the process, says a recent article from yahoo! Finance titled “What Do I Need to Do to Prepare an Estate Inventory for Probate,” which recommends contacting a local estate planning attorney to get it right.

The inventory is used to determine the overall value of the estate. It’s also used to determine whether the estate is solvent, when compared to any claims of creditors for taxes, mortgages, or other debts. The inventory will also be used to calculate any estate or inheritance taxes owed by the estate to the state or federal government.

What is an estate asset? Anything anyone owned at the time of their death is the short answer. This includes:

Real estate: houses, condos, apartments, investment properties
Financial accounts: checking, savings, money market accounts
Investments: brokerage accounts, certificates of deposits, stocks, bonds
Retirement accounts: 401(k)s, HSAs, traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, pensions
Wages: Unpaid wages, unpaid commissions, un-exercised stock options
Insurance policies: life insurance or annuities
Vehicles: cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats
Business interests: any business holdings or partnerships
Debts/judgments: any personal loans to people or money received through court judgments

Preparing an estate inventory is critical for probate, but it may take some time. If the decedent hasn’t created an inventory and shared it with the executor, which would be the ideal situation, the executor may spend a great deal of time searching through desk drawers and filing cabinets and going through the mail for paper financial statements, if they exist.

If the estate includes real property owned in several states, this process becomes even more complex, as each state will require a separate probate process.

The court will not accept a simple list of items. For example, an inventory entry for real property will need to include the address, legal description of the property, copy of the deed and a fair market appraisal of the property by a professional appraiser.

Once all the assets are identified, the executor may need to use a state-specific inventory form for probate inventories. When completed, the executor files it with the probate court. An experienced estate planning attorney will be familiar with the process and be able to speed the process along without the learning curve needed by an inexperienced layperson.

Deadlines for filing the inventory also vary by state. Some probate judges may allow extensions, while other may not.

The executor has a fiduciary responsibility to the beneficiaries of the estate to file the inventory without delay. The executor is also responsible for paying off any debts or taxes and overseeing the distribution of any remaining assets to beneficiaries. It’s a large task, and one that will benefit from the help of an experienced estate planning attorney. If you would like to learn more about probate, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: yahoo! finance (Dec. 3, 2022) “What Do I Need to Do to Prepare an Estate Inventory for Probate”

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto

Proper Asset Protection Can Avoid a Receiver

January 5, 2023

The role of the receiver is often poorly understood. Many asset protection plans fail to address situations involving receivers. The vulnerable point of an asset protection or estate plan is where the wish to protect assets meets the desire to retain control, creating a weakness a receiver can exploit, says a recent article titled “Understanding Receivers For Collection And While Asset Protection Planning” from Forbes. Proper asset protection can avoid the costly involvement of a receiver.

The receiver has three roles: an officer of the court, an agent for the debtor’s estate (aka, creditors) and an agent of the debtor.

Receivers are appointed by the court. Most must take an oath to the effect that the receiver will follow the instructions of the court and post a bond against any misconduct. The receiver has no power to do anything until authorized by the court, which is usually part of the original order appointing the receiver.

The receiver reports to the court and usually submits monthly reports detailing their activities, expenditures and collections.

When the receiver’s work is done, they apply to the court for an order of discharge.

The receiver is an agent of the debtor’s estate, similar to how a trustee is the agent of the debtor’s bankruptcy estate. The debtor’s estate includes assets available to creditors for collection – this does not include exempt assets.

When a receiver is appointed, the receiver obtains a tax ID number for the estate and opens a bank account for the estate. As assets are liquidated, they are deposited into the account. Payment to the receiver for fees and expenses are paid from the account.

The receiver is ultimately acting for the benefit of creditors, so the receiver could be said to be an agent of creditors, although only the court may give the receiver instructions.

Third, the receiver is the agent of the debtor. As the agent of the debtor, the receiver becomes the debtor for nearly all purposes and if authorized by the court, can take any legal action the debtor could take.

For example, the receiver may execute deeds using the debtor’s name, exercise voting rights as to shares of stock or demand redemptions of stock or cancel contracts. The receiver may demand bank statements from a bank or give the U.S. Post Office instructions to forward mail to the receiver at their address. The receiver can also demand the debtors credit card statements, utility bills and anything else.

With the permission of the court, the receiver can literally take over the business, liquidate the assets of the business and cause the entity to be dissolved.

The level of intrusiveness of the receiver is such that the average debtor will make the effort to settle with their creditors to stop the receiver’s actions.

As an agent of the debtor’s estate, the receiver is likely to coordinate with the creditor. However, the receiver can only act as instructed by the court.

Asset protection needs to be done properly to avoid any involvement with a court-appointed receiver. If you would like to learn more about asset protection, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Forbes (Nov. 17, 2022) “Understanding Receivers For Collection And While Asset Protection Planning”

Avoid Leaving Residual Assets Behind

January 4, 2023

This is also known as estate residue or residual estate. It simply means the assets left over after a will has been read, assets have been distributed to heirs and any final expenses have been paid. An estate planning attorney can help avoid leaving residual assets behind, with a comprehensive estate plan, reports a recent article titled “How to Write a Residuary Estate Clause in a Will” from yahoo!

A will is a legal document used to name guardians for minor children and providing directions for how you want assets to be distributed when you pass. Any assets not included in your will or distributed through a trust automatically become part of the residuary estate on your death.

This can happen deliberately or unintentionally. For example, your will can state your wishes to have certain assets left to certain people. However, your will could also include a residual estate clause explaining what should happen to any assets not already named in the will. In this case, you’re intentionally creating a residual estate, and planning for it at the time of the will’s creation.

Some residual estates are created without advance planning. Here’s how that happens:

If you forget to include assets in your will.
If you acquired new assets after drafting a will and do not add a codicil making provision for the distribution of the assets.
Someone named in the will dies before you or is unable to receive the inheritance you left for them.

This can also happen if you set up a Payable On Death (POD) account but neglect to add a beneficiary to the account. Any funds in the account would be lumped into the residual estate.

What happens if you draft a will and don’t have a residuary estate clause? Any unclaimed or overlooked assets will be distributed, according to your state’s inheritance guidelines. However, this is only done after any estate taxes, outstanding debts or final expenses have been paid. Assets would be distributed as if you did not have a will. Heirs at law would receive assets according to kinship, including spouse, children, parents, siblings and other relatives.

How does a trust work in relation to a residual estate? Trusts are legal entities allowing you to transfer assets to a trustee. The trustee is responsible for managing assets on behalf of the trust for beneficiaries according to your wishes. You may want to establish a trust if you have a substantial estate, want to plan for a family member with special needs or if you wish to create a charitable giving legacy.

Speak with an experienced estate planning attorney to avoid leaving residual assets behind. Your attorney will determine whether your will should have a residual clause and what assets should be included. They will also be able to determine whether you need additional estate planning strategies, including a revocable living trust. If you would like to learn more about drafting a Will or Trust, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: yahoo! (Dec. 4, 2022) “How to Write a Residuary Estate Clause in a Will”

Benefits and Drawbacks of Family Limited Partnerships

January 3, 2023

Being able to transfer wealth from one generation to the next is a good thing, especially now, when a big change is coming to the federal estate tax exemption amount, says a recent article titled “The Pros and Cons of Family Limited Partnerships” from The Wall Street Journal. The are benefits and drawbacks to Family Limited Partnerships.

In 2022, estates valued at up to $12.06 million are exempt from federal taxes. However, on January 1, 2026, the exemption sinks to around $6 million, with adjustments for inflation. As a result, wealthy Americans are now re-evaluating their estate plans and many are turning to the Family Limited Partnership, or FLP, as a tax saving strategy.

An FLP can be tailored to suit every family’s needs. You don’t have to be ultra-wealthy for an FLP to make sense. An upper-middle class family owning a small business or real estate properties they’re not ready to sell could make good use of an FLP, as well as a real estate mogul owning properties in multiple states.

There are some caveats. The cost of setting up an FLP ranges from $8,000 to $15,000. However, it can go higher depending on the state of residence and the complexity of the partnership. There are annual operating costs, tax filings and appraisal fees. The IRS isn’t always fond of FLPs, because there is an institutional belief that FLPs are subject to abuse.

The FLP needs to be drafted with an experienced estate planning attorney, working in consultation with a CPA and financial advisor. This is definitely not a Do-It-Yourself project.

What makes these partnerships different from traditional limited partnerships is that all partners are family members. There are two kinds of partners: general and limited. The parents or grandparents are usually the general partners. They contribute the bulk of the assets, typically a small business, stock portfolio or real estate. Children are limited partners, with interests in the partnership.

The general partners control all of the investment and management decisions and bear the partnership liability, even though their ownership of assets can be as little as 1% or 2%. They make the day-to-day business decisions, including funds allocation and income distribution. The ability of the general partner to maintain control of the transferred assets is one of the FLP’s biggest advantage. The FLP reduces the taxable estate, while maintaining control of the assets.

Once the entity is created, assets can be transferred to the FLP immediately or over time, depending on the family’s plan. The overall goal is to get as much of the property out of the general partners’ taxable estate as possible. Assets in the FLP are divided and gifted to limited partners, although this is often a gift to a trust for the limited partners, who are the general partners’ descendants. Placing the assets in a trust adds another layer of protection, since the gift remains outside of the limited partner’s taxable estate as well.

To avoid a challenge by the IRS, the partnership must be conducted as a business entity. Meetings need to be scheduled regularly, with formal meeting minutes recorded properly. General partners are to be compensated for their services, and limited partners must pay taxes on their share of income from the partnership. The involvement of professionals in the FLP is needed to be sure the FLP remains compliant with IRS rules.

An alternative is to create a Family Limited Liability Company instead of a Family Limited Partnership. These can be created to operate much like an FLP, while also protecting partners from liability.

Partnerships are not for everyone. Your estate planning attorney will advise regarding the benefits and drawbacks of Family Limited Partnerships, and whether an FLP or an FLLC makes more sense for your family. If you would like to learn more about family limited partnerships, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: The Wall Street Journal (Dec. 3, 2022) “The Pros and Cons of Family Limited Partnerships”

Photo by AV RAW

A Durable Power of Attorney is Essential

December 29, 2022

A durable power of attorney is essential to a comprehensive estate plan. A power of attorney is a legal document in which you authorize another person (called an agent) or financial institution to act on your behalf to execute certain financial transactions in the event that you’re unable to do so. Transaction might include paying bills, handling insurance claims, selling real estate and filing a tax return.

WMUR’s recent article entitled “Reasons you may need a durable power of attorney” reminds us that this is a cumbersome, time-consuming and potentially expensive process at a time of immediate needs and emotional stress.

Your spouse can probably do the basic bill paying. However, many financial transactions—like the sale of an investment or home—require both spouses’ signatures. You may have some assets in only your name. That means your spouse would have no access to those assets should they be needed to pay the medical expenses due to the disability that’s preventing you from handling your own finances.

Some types of powers of attorney are simply convenience documents that are used for specific transactions or to manage finances for a limited time while a person is out of town. However, there’s also a durable power of attorney for medical care. With this document, you name someone to make medical decisions on your behalf should you be incapacitated. It’s a separate document.

Most commonly, a “durable” financial power of attorney goes into effect upon signing and remains in effect through any incapacity and until your death unless you revoke it. This power of attorney typically allows the agent to perform a broad range of financial transactions on behalf of the person.

A durable power of attorney is essential to a comprehensive estate plan. Ask an experienced estate planning attorney to draft the power of attorney, because to be effective, it needs to meet state law. These laws vary from state to state.

In addition to granting broad powers, the POA must be specific about certain rights granted to the agent. For example, the grantor may give an agent the right to make gifts on behalf of the grantor, the right to complete and sign your tax returns, exercise stock options, or sue a third party.

However, you might want to add some restrictions, such as the conditions in which your assets can be sold. Your attorney may also retain the document for you pending release, if you should become incapacitated. If you would like to learn more about powers of attorney, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: WMUR (May 5, 2022) “Reasons you may need a durable power of attorney”

Photo by Mikhail Nilov

Young Professionals Need Estate Planning

December 28, 2022

Even those whose daily tasks bring them close to death on a daily basis can be reluctant to consider having an estate plan done. However, young professionals, or high-income earners, needs estate planning to protect assets and prepare for incapacity. Estate planning also makes matters easier for loved ones, explains a recent article titled “Physician estate planning guide” from Medical Economics. An estate plan gets your wishes honored, minimizes court expenses and maintains family harmony.

Having an estate plan is needed by anyone, at any age or stage of life. A younger professional may be less inclined to consider estate planning. However, it’s a mistake to put it off.

Start by meeting with an experienced estate planning attorney in your home state. Have a power of attorney drafted to give a trusted person the ability to make decisions on your behalf should you become incapacitated. Not having this legal relationship leads to big problems. Your family will need to go to court to have a conservatorship or guardianship established to do something as simple as make a mortgage payment. Having a POA is a far better solution.

Next, talk with your estate planning attorney about a last will and testament and any trusts you might need. A will is a simpler method. However, if you have substantial assets, you may benefit from the protection a trust affords.

A will names your executor and expresses your wishes for property distribution. The will doesn’t become effective until after death when it’s reviewed by the court and verified during probate. The executor named in the will is then appointed to act on the directions in the will.

Most states don’t require an executor to be notified in advance. However, people should discuss this role with the person who they want to appoint. It’s not always a welcome surprise, and there’s no requirement for the named person to serve.

A trust is created to own property outside of the estate. It’s created and becomes effective while the person is still living and is often described as “kinder” to beneficiaries, especially if the grantor owns their practice and has complex business arrangements.

Trusts are useful for people who own assets in more than one state. In some cases, deeds to properties can be added into one trust, streamlining and consolidating assets and making it simpler to redirect after death.

Irrevocable trusts are especially useful to any doctor concerned about being sued for malpractice. An irrevocable trust helps protect assets from creditors seeking to recover assets.

Young professionals need estate planning because not being prepared with an estate plan addressing incapacity and death leads to a huge burden for loved ones. Once the plan is created, it should be updated every three to five years. Updating the plan is far easier than the initial creation and reflects changes in one’s life and in the law. If you would like to read more about estate planning for business owners, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Medical Economics (Nov. 30, 2022) “Physician estate planning guide”

Estate Planning is a Personal Process

December 27, 2022

It’s a question that some couples should ask. For many, their estate is their estate together, right? Not always. There are benefits to using the same estate planning attorney. However, there may be reasons to use different attorneys, as discussed in the article “Should My Spouse and I Hire the Same Estate Lawyer?” from The Street. When it comes down to it, estate planning is a personal process.

If your estates are relatively simple and your interests are the same, it does make sense to use the same estate planning attorney. If there’s no need for sophisticated tax planning, yours is a first marriage with no children, or you own one piece of property, one attorney can represent both partners.

It’s important to understand joint representation. This means both partners and the attorney agree to share all information learned from one spouse with the other spouse. These terms are often outlined in the engagement letter signed when the attorney is retained.

However, life and marriages are not always so simple. Let’s say that one spouse owns property or a share of property in another state purchased before the marriage and not co-owned with the spouse. This often occurs when property is owned by members of the spouse’s immediate family, like a business property or a vacation home they own jointly with siblings or parents. It may also be property one spouse is likely to inherit with the expectation the property ownership remains solely with bloodline family members.

Note that owning property in another state will likely also require the services of another estate planning attorney who is familiar with the local laws. The out-of-state attorney can advise if there are any special planning considerations needed, such as placing property in a family-controlled entity, like a limited liability company or other family partnership.

Coordinating communication between the out-of-state attorney and the primary in-state attorney will be important, since there may be interrelated planning considerations to be addressed in wills or trusts.

What if you and your spouse have different communication styles? One wants a talkative attorney who wants to dive into long-term planning goals, engaging in discussions about building a legacy, while the other wants documents prepared, signed and executed, minus any big picture conversations.

A simple solution would be for each spouse to identify an attorney at the same firm who matches their personal style.

Another reason for using different estate planning attorneys is if one wants to use a “floating spouse” provision, which can cause some feelings to arise. This is a provision defining a “spouse” as the person you are married to at the time of death. If there’s a divorce and the prior spouse would have had a vested interest in property, the floating spouse provision affords another layer of protection to keep assets to the spouse at the time of death.

There are non-divorce related reasons for the floating spouse provision. If an irrevocable trust is created to benefit the spouse, the ability to make changes to the trust can be challenging, time consuming and costly. With a floating spouse provision, the prior spouse is removed as a beneficiary and the new spouse could be easily substituted. In this case, independent counsel is advised, as interests are considered legally adverse.

Estate planning is a personal process and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. If any part of the estate creates adverse interests, joint representation may not work. However, when the estate is relatively simple and the couple’s goals are the same, having a spouse by your side during the planning process could give each of you the incentive to take care of this very important task. If you would like to learn more about estate planning, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: The Street (Nov. 30, 2022) “Should My Spouse and I Hire the Same Estate Lawyer?”

Blog Articles

The Estate of The Union Season 2|Episode 5 is out now!

A Joint and Survivor Annuity is an Option

Preparing an Estate Inventory is Critical

Proper Asset Protection Can Avoid a Receiver

Avoid Leaving Residual Assets Behind

Benefits and Drawbacks of Family Limited Partnerships

A Durable Power of Attorney is Essential

Young Professionals Need Estate Planning

Estate Planning is a Personal Process

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