Tips to avoid a Contested Will

June 22, 2022

A last will and testament is the document used to direct your executor to distribute assets and property according to your wishes. However, it’s not uncommon for disgruntled or distant family members or others to dispute the validity of the will. There are tips to avoid a contested will. A recent article titled “5 Reasons A Law Will May Be Contested” from Vents Magazine explains the top five factors to keep in mind when preparing your will.

Undue influence is a commonly invoked reason for a challenge. If a potential beneficiary can prove the person making the will (the testator) was influenced by another person to make decisions they would not have otherwise made, a will challenge could be brought to court. Undue influence means the testator’s decision was significantly affected by a person who stood to gain something by the outcome of the will and made a concerted effort to change the testator’s mind.

Even if there was no evidence of fraud, any suspicion of the testator’s being influenced is enough for a court to accept a case. If you think someone unduly influenced a loved one, especially if they suffer from any mental frailties or dementia, you may have cause to bring a case.

Outright fraud or forgery is another reason for the will to be contested. If there have been many erasures or signature styles appear different from one document to another, there may have been fraud. An estate planning attorney should examine documents to evaluate whether there is enough cause for suspicion to challenge the will.

Improper witnesses. The testator is required to sign the will with witnesses present. In some states, only one witness is required. In most states, two witnesses must be present to sign the will in front of the testator. A beneficiary may not be a witness to the signing of the will. Some states have changed laws to allow for remote signings in response to COVID. If the rules have not been followed, the will may be invalid.

Mistaken identity seems farfetched. However, it is a common occurrence, especially when someone has a common name or more than one person in the family has the same name, and the document has not been properly signed or witnessed. This could create confusion and make the document vulnerable to a challenge. An experienced estate planning attorney will know how to prepare documents to withstand any challenges.

Capacity in the law means someone is able to understand the concept of a will and contents of the document they are signing, along with the identities of the people to whom they are leaving their assets. The testator doesn’t need to have perfect mental health, so people with mild cognitive impairments, such as depression or anxiety, may make and sign a will. A medical opinion may be needed, if there might be any doubt as to whether a person had testamentary capacity when the will is signed.

A contested will can be time-consuming and expensive, so keep these tips in mind to avoid it, especially if the family includes some litigious individuals. If you would like to learn more about drafting a will, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Vents Magazine (May 6, 2022) “5 Reasons A Law Will May Be Contested”

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The Estate of The Union Season 3|Episode 9

The Estate of The Union Season 2, Episode 2 – The Consumer’s Guide to Dying is out now!

June 21, 2022

The Estate of The Union Season 2, Episode 2 – The Consumer’s Guide to Dying is out now!

Dealing with a funeral home after the death of a loved one is something no one relishes.

In this episode of the Estate of the Union, we interview Nancy Walker, the Executive Director of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Central Texas, a non-profit that helps people navigate this unpleasant task. Nancy hits on the perils of the process and even discusses “natural burials.” Learn what the organization is and how they are an important resource for making educated choices and arrangements prior to end of life.

This is fun, innovative and informative. Despite the topic, you will love it!

To learn more about Nancy Walker and the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Central Texas, please visit their website: www.fcactx.org

We’ve got fifteen episodes posted and more to come. We hope you will enjoy them enough to share it with others. These are available on Apple, Spotify and other podcast outlets. Click on our logo to listen on Spotify.

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 2 – The Consumer’s Guide to Dying can be found on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or anywhere you get your podcasts. 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.

Supplemental Needs Trust can safeguard Benefits

June 20, 2022

A Supplemental Needs Trust can safeguard government benefits. Supplemental Needs Trusts allow disabled individuals to retain inheritances or gifts without eliminating or reducing government benefits, like Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). There are cases where the individual is vulnerable to exploitation or unable to manage their own finances and using an SNT allows them to receive additional funds to pay for things not covered by their benefits.

Having an experienced estate planning attorney properly create the SNT is critical to preserving the individual’s benefits, according to a recent article titled “Protecting Government Benefits using Supplemental Needs Trusts” from Mondaq.

Disabled individuals who receive SSI must be careful, since the rules about assets from SSI are far more restrictive then if the person only received Medicaid or Social Security Disability and Medicaid.

The trustee of an SNT makes distributions to third parties like personal care items, transportation (including buying a car), entertainment, technology purchases, payment of rent and medical or therapeutic equipment. Payment of rent or even ownership of a home may be paid for by the trustee.

The SNT may not make cash distributions to the beneficiary. Payment for any items or services must be made directly to the service provider, retailers, or other entity, for benefit of the individual. Not following this rule could lead to the SNT becoming invalid.

SNTs may be funded using the disabled person’s own funds or by a third party for their benefit. If the SNT is funded using the person’s own funds, it is called a “Self-Settled SNT.” This is a useful tool if the disabled person inherits money, receives a court settlement or owned assets before becoming disabled.

If someone other than the disabled person funds the SNT, it’s known as a “Third-Party SNT.” These are most commonly created as part of an estate plan to protect a family member and ensure they have supplementary funds as needed and to preserve assets for other family members when the disabled individual dies.

The most important distinction between a Self-Settled SNT and a Third-Party SNT is a Self-Settled SNT must contain a provision to direct the trust to pay back the state’s Medicaid agency for any assistance provided. This is known as a “Payback Provision.”

The Third-Party SNT is not required to contain this provision and any assets remaining in the trust at the time of the disabled person’s death may be passed on to residual beneficiaries.

A Supplemental Needs Trust can safeguard benefits. That is why so many estate planning attorneys use a “standby” SNT as part of their planning, so their loved ones may be protected, in case an unexpected event occurs and a family member becomes disabled. If you would like to learn more about SNTs, please visit our previous posts.

References: Mondaq (May 27, 2022) “Protecting Government Benefits using Supplemental Needs Trusts”

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Choosing the right Executor is Crucial

June 16, 2022

When you pass away, it will be up to your executor or personal representative to handle all the paperwork after your death and the distribution of your assets. Choosing the right executor is crucial to your estate planning.

Fed Week’s recent article entitled “Considerations when Picking an Executor for Your Estate” suggest that one possibility is to name an independent party as your estate’s executor.

An executor or personal representative of an estate is a person or entity that’s appointed to administer the last will and testament of a deceased person. The executor’s main duty is to carry out the instructions to manage the affairs and wishes of the deceased.

The executor is appointed either by the testator of the will (the person who makes the will) or by a court, in the event where there’s no prior appointment in a will.

However, a bank trust department or even an independent trust company might serve as an executor.

While your family may not like paying fees to an executor, if you name a surviving relative as executor, he or she may face enormous pressure from heirs with competing claims.

It’s not unheard of for family disputes to occur.

It’s also important to point out that an executor assumes a fiduciary responsibility that may be better left to an institution. The executor of the estate is required to complete an estate tax return, pay any estate tax due and distribute the estate’s assets.

If that tax return is later audited and more tax is due, the executor is legally responsible. The other heirs may not be ready to give some of their money back to pay the tax. You can, therefore, see that there is at least one point of contention that could grow into a conflict.

However, if you name an institution, you shift that liability away from a family member.

If you don’t expect any tax or family problems with your estate, you can simply name a family member as executor. You can perhaps name an adult child, because a surviving spouse may be too overwhelmed to deal with everything.

However, a grown son or daughter who is conscientious and lives close might be a good choice.

In any case, your will should designate a backup executor. Choosing the right executor for your estate is crucial to ensuring a smooth distribution of your assets and an experienced estate planning attorney can help you make a decision that works best for you. If you would like to read more about the role of the executor, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Fed Week (May 3, 2022) “Considerations when Picking an Executor for Your Estate”

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch

Minimizing Taxes should be a Part of your Plan

June 15, 2022

Let’s get this out of the way: preparing for death doesn’t mean it will come sooner. Quite the opposite is true. Most people find preparing and completing their estate plan leads to a sense of relief. They know if and when any of life’s unexpected events occur, like incapacity or death, they have done what was necessary to prepare, for themselves and their loved ones. Minimizing taxes should be a part of your plan.

It’s a worthwhile task, says the recent article titled “Preparing for the certainties in life: death and taxes” from Cleveland Jewish News and doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Some attorneys use questionnaires to gather information to be brought into the office for the first meeting, while others use secure online portals to gather information. Then, the estate planning attorney and you will have a friendly, candid discussion of your wishes and what decisions need to be made.

Several roles need to be filled. The executor carries out the instructions in the will. A guardian is in charge of minor children, in the event both parents die. A person named as your attorney in fact (or agent) in your Power of Attorney (POA) will be in charge of the business side of your life. A POA can be as broad or limited as you wish, from managing one bank account to pay household expenses to handling everything. A Health Care Proxy is used to appoint your health care agent to have access to your medical information and speak with your health care providers, if you are unable to.

Your estate plan can be designed to minimize probate. Probate is the process where the court reviews your will to ensure its validity, approves the person you appoint to be executor and allows the administration of your estate to go forward.

Depending on your jurisdiction, probate can be a long, costly and stressful process. In Ohio, the law requires probate to be open for at least six months after the date of death, even if your estate dots every “i” and crosses every “t.”

Part of the estate planning process is reviewing assets to see how and if they might be taken out of your probate estate. This may involve creating trusts, legal entities to own property and allow for easier distribution to heirs. Charitable donations might become part of your plan, using other types of trusts to make donations, while preserving assets or creating an income stream for loved ones.

Minimizing taxes should be a part of your estate plan. While the federal estate tax exemption right now is historically high $12.06 million per person, on January 1, 2025, it drops to $5.49 million adjusted for inflation. While 2025 may seem like a long way off, if your estate plan is being done now, you might not see it again for three or five years. Planning for this lowered number makes sense.

Reviewing an estate plan should take place every three to five years to keep up with changes in the law, including the lowered estate tax. Large events in your family also need to prompt a review—trigger events like marriage, death, birth, divorce and the sale of a business or a home. If you would like to read more about taxes and their influence of estate planning, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Cleveland Jewish News (May 13, 2022) “Preparing for the certainties in life: death and taxes”

Photo by Karolina Grabowska

Be certain You’ve got Legal Documents for your College Kid

June 14, 2022

There are few things more exciting as a parent than seeing your child come of age and embark on adulthood. That often means leaving home to start a career or enter college. It is at this stage that you need to be certain you’ve got legal documents in place for your college kid. The Press-Enterprise’s recent article entitled “Legal documents for young adults” describes some of the important legal and estate planning documents your “kid” (who’s now an adult) should have.

HIPAA Waiver. This form allows medical personnel to provide information to the parties you’ve named in the document. Without it, even mom would be prohibited from accessing her 19-year-old adult’s health information—even in an emergency. However, know that this form doesn’t authorize anyone to make decisions. For that, see Health Care Directives below.

Health Care Directive. Also known as a health care power of attorney, this authorizes someone else to make health care decisions for you and details the decisions you’d like made.

Durable Power of Attorney. Once your child turns 18, you’re no longer able to act on their behalf, make decisions for them, or enter into any kind of an agreement binding them. This can be a big concern, if your adult child becomes incapacitated. A springing durable power of attorney is a document that becomes effective only upon the incapacity of the principal (the person signing the document). It’s called a “springing” power because it springs into effect upon incapacity, rather than being effective immediately.

A durable power of attorney, whether springing or immediate, states who can make decisions for you upon your incapacity and what powers the agent has. The designated agent will typically be able to access bank accounts, pay bills, file insurance claims, engage attorneys or other professionals, and in general, act on behalf of the incapacitated person.

They’ll always be your babies, but once your child turns 18, he or she is legally an adult.

Be certain that you’ve got the legal documents in place to be there for your college kid in case of an emergency.

Remember a spring break, when they’re home for summer after their 18th birthday, or a senior road trip are all opportunities when these documents may be needed. If you would like to learn more about estate planning for young adults, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: The Press-Enterprise (April 2, 2022) “Legal documents for young adults”

Photo by Anastasiya Gepp

What is the Best Way to Leave Money to Children?

June 13, 2022

Parents and grandparents want what’s best for children and grandchildren. We love generously sharing with them during our lifetimes—family vacations, values and history. If we can, we also want to pass on a financial legacy with little or no complications, explains a recent article titled “4 Tax-Smart Ways to Share the Wealth with Kids” from Kiplinger. What is the best way to leave money to children?

There are many ways to transfer wealth from one person to another. However, there are only a handful of tools to effectively transfer financial gifts for future generations during our lifetimes. UTMA/UGMA accounts, 529 accounts, IRAs, and Irrevocable Gift Trusts are the most widely used.

Which option will be best for you and your family? It depends on how much control you want to have, the goal of your gift and its size.

UTMA/UGMA Accounts, the short version for Uniform Transfers to Minor or Uniform Gift to Minor accounts, allows gifts to be set aside for minors who would otherwise not be allowed to own significant property. These custodial accounts let you designate someone—it could be you—to manage gifted funds, until the child becomes of legal age, depending on where you live, 18 or 21.

It takes very little to set up the account. You can do it with your local bank branch. However, the funds are taxable to the child and if an investment triggers a “kiddie tax,” putting the child into a high tax bracket and in line with income tax brackets for non-grantor trusts, it could become expensive. Your estate planning attorney will help you determine if this makes sense.

What may concern you more: when the minor turns 18 or 21, they own the account and can do whatever they want with the funds.

529 College Savings Accounts are increasingly popular for passing on wealth to the next generation. The main goal of a 529 is for educational purposes. However, there are many qualified expenses that it may be used for. Any income from transfers into the account is free of federal income tax, as long as distributions are used for qualified expenses. Any gains may be nontaxable under local and state laws, depending on which account you open and where you live. Contributions to 529 accounts qualify for the annual gift tax exclusion but can also be used for other gift and estate tax planning methods, including letting you make front-loaded gifts for up to five years without tapping your lifetime estate tax exemption.

You may also change the beneficiary of the account at any time, so if one child doesn’t use all their funds, they can be used by another child.

From the IRS’ perspective, a child’s IRA is the same as an adult IRA. The traditional IRA allows an immediate deduction for income taxes when contributions are made. Neither income nor principal are taxed until funds are withdrawn. By contrast, a Roth IRA has no up-front tax deduction. However, any earned income is tax free, as are withdrawals. There are other considerations and limits. However, generally speaking the Roth IRA is the preferred approach for children and adults when the income earner expects to be in a higher tax bracket when they retire. It’s safe to say that most younger children with earned income will earn more income in their adult years.

The most versatile way to make gifts to minors is through a trust. This is perhaps the best way to leave money to children. There’s no one-size-fits-all trust, and tax rules can be complex. Therefore, trusts should only be created with the help of an experienced estate planning attorney. A trust is a private agreement naming a trustee who will manage the assets in the trust for a beneficiary. The terms can be whatever the grantor (the person creating the trust) wants. Trusts can be designed to be fully asset-protected for a beneficiary’s lifetime, as long as they align with state law. The trust should have a provision for what will occur if the beneficiary or the primary trustee dies before the end of the trust. If you would like to learn more about how to leave money, or an inheritance, to your children, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Kiplinger (May 15, 2022) “4 Tax-Smart Ways to Share the Wealth with Kids”

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Discuss Estate Planning before Marriage

June 9, 2022

Romance is in the air. Spring is the time for marriages, and with America coming out of the pandemic, wedding calendars will be filled. It is wise to discuss estate planning before marriage.

AZ Big Media’s recent article entitled “5 estate planning tips for newlyweds” gives those ready to walk down the aisle a few things to consider.

Prenuptial Agreement. Commonly referred to as a prenup, this is a written contract that you and your spouse enter into before getting legally married. It provides details on what happens to finances and assets during your marriage and, of course, in the event of divorce. A prenup is particularly important if one of the spouses already has significant assets and earnings and wishes to protect them in the event of divorce or death.
Review you restate plan. Even if you come into a marriage with an existing plan, it’s out of date as soon as you’re wed.
Update your beneficiary designations. Much of an individual’s estate plan takes place by beneficiary designations. Decide if you want your future spouse to be a beneficiary of life insurance, IRAs, or other pay on death accounts.
Consider real estate. A married couple frequently opts to live in the residence of one of the spouses. This should be covered in the prenup. However, in a greater picture, decide in the event of the death of the owner, if you’d want this real estate to pass to the survivor, or would you want the survivor simply to have the right to live in the property for a specified period of time.
Life insurance. You want to be sure that one spouse is taken care of in the event of your death. A married couple often relies on the incomes of both spouses, but death will wreck that plan. Think about life insurance as a substitute for a spouse’s earning capacity.

If you are soon-to-be-married or recently married and want to discuss estate planning before marriage with an expert, make an appointment with a skilled estate planning attorney. If you would like to learn more about pre-nuptial agreements, and other planning before marriage, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: AZ Big Media (March 23, 2022) “5 estate planning tips for newlyweds”

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Identifying the Early Signs of Dementia

June 8, 2022

If you’re an older adult experiencing memory lapses, lack of focus or confusion — or you have a loved one with those symptoms, you may be concerned about the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. However, other treatable conditions can cause similar symptoms, and they can be easy for doctors to miss, says Ardeshir Hashmi, M.D., a geriatrician and section chief of Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Geriatric Medicine. There are clues that can help you in identifying the early signs of dementia.

“Sometimes there’s just a very superficial workup and then [the doctor says], ‘Here’s a pill for Alzheimer’s,’” Hashmi says. (While no drug has been proved to stop or slow the progression of dementia, there are several federally approved medications that can help manage the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.) “Before you make that conclusion, you should rule out all the other things that can be confused with dementia — things that are easily reversible.”

AARP’s recent article entitled “6 Medical Problems That Can Mimic Dementia — but Aren’t” identifies some common medical problems that can be mistaken for the early signs of dementia.

Medication interactions or side effects. Older adults are more likely than younger people to develop cognitive impairment as a side effect of a medication. Drug toxicity is the reason in as many as 12% of patients who present with suspected dementia, research shows.
A respiratory infection (including COVID-19). Any untreated infection can cause delirium — a sudden change in alertness, attention, memory and orientation that can mimic dementia. When you have an infection, the white blood cells in your body are sent to the infection site, causing a chemical change in the brain that makes some older adults feel drowsy, unfocused or confused. Respiratory infections are harder to diagnose in people over 65 because they are more likely to lack classic symptoms, such as a fever or a cough.
A urinary tract infection (UTI). Research shows about 1 in 10 women older than 65 and up to 30% of women over 85 reported having had a urinary tract infection in the past year. Men are also more likely to experience UTIs as they age. However, most UTIs, and the accompanying cognitive issues, can be diagnosed with a simple urine test and then treated with an antibiotic.
Sleep problems or disturbed sleep. If your sleep-wake cycle is disturbed or you have insomnia, you may experience dementia-like symptoms. These include trouble focusing, confusion, mental fatigue and irritability. Some older adults also suffer from sleep apnea, a sleep-related breathing problem that can deprive your brain of the oxygen it needs while you slumber, possibly causing long-term damage. Many seniors don’t realize they have this. Tell your doctor if you have signs of apnea, such as loud snoring, waking up gasping or choking, uncontrolled high blood pressure, a morning headache, or a dry mouth upon waking. If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, using a continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP) while you snooze has been shown to be an effective treatment.
Dehydration. If you take diuretics or laxatives, they can contribute to water loss. If you seem foggy or confused, see if your urine is dark yellow or brown, which can indicate a lack of fluids. Another sign of severe dehydration is a white coating on the tongue. To prevent dehydration, older adults should aim to get at least 48 ounces of caffeine-free fluids (six 8-ounce glasses) a day.
Normal pressure hydrocephalus. This is a treatable disorder in which cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain, disrupting and damaging nearby brain tissue and causing cognitive problems. A neurologist can diagnose normal pressure hydrocephalus using brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid tests. It is treated by inserting a shunt into the brain to drain the fluid.

Know that dementia isn’t a normal expected part of aging. 11% of adults 65 and older have Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Identifying the early signs of dementia can dramatically increase the benefits of therapies and treatments. If you would like to learn more about dementia, and other related illnesses, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: AARP (March 21, 2022) “6 Medical Problems That Can Mimic Dementia — but Aren’t”

Photo by Mikhail Nilov

Dying without a Will is costly

June 7, 2022

Dying without a will in place is a costly mistake. Without a valid and legal will, it can open the door to family fighting or significant court costs to settle an estate.

The Seattle Times’s recent article entitled “Do you have a will? Without an estate plan, families can struggle to sort it out” advises you to put your wishes in writing, so your estate is handled responsibly at the end of your life.

It’s the best thing that you can do to help your family and help eliminate fighting in the future.

A will can help with the most routine aspects of settling someone’s affairs or provide additional protection for more rare events.

If a person dies without a will, they are said to have died intestate. When this occurs, the deceased’s estate is handed over to the local probate court to identify creditors, beneficiaries and allocate assets.

Property typically goes to a surviving spouse first, then to any children, then to extended family and descendants, following the state’s probate laws. If no family can be found, property typically reverts to the state.

You can also ask an experienced estate planning attorney about a living trust.

A trust is a legal document that can set out plans for someone while they’re still alive and after death, including instructions for how to divide up all assets, including property, businesses and investments.

While most of the instructions should be covered in the living trust, writing a will can also serve as a back-up document to lay out how property and other assets should be transferred. In addition, wills used in conjunction with a living trust commonly designate that trust as the beneficiary of the will. Hence, such wills are referred to as pour-over wills.

A will that’s entirely in someone’s own handwriting — not anyone else’s — that’s signed and dated may be valid, depending on your state of residence. However, it can be disputed in court if there are questions about its authenticity. People who handwrite their wills risk leaving out or forgetting heirs or assets they want to identify, if it’s not checked over by a professional. Dying without a will in place is a costly mistake that could have significant implications for your love ones. If you would like to learn more about drafting a will or trust, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Seattle Times (May 16, 2022) “Do you have a will? Without an estate plan, families can struggle to sort it out”

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto

Blog Articles

Tips to avoid a Contested Will

The Estate of The Union Season 2, Episode 2 – The Consumer’s Guide to Dying is out now!

Supplemental Needs Trust can safeguard Benefits

Choosing the right Executor is Crucial

Minimizing Taxes should be a Part of your Plan

Be certain You’ve got Legal Documents for your College Kid

What is the Best Way to Leave Money to Children?

Discuss Estate Planning before Marriage

Identifying the Early Signs of Dementia

Dying without a Will is costly

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