Husband putting a gifted beautiful pearl necklace to his wife

HOW A SPOUSAL LIFETIME ACCESS TRUST WORKS

Gabriel Katzner - June 7, 2023 - Estate Planning

A spousal lifetime access trust (SLAT) is a trust created by one spouse (trustmaker spouse) for the benefit of the other (beneficiary spouse).   This estate planning tool can be used to retain as much control over your property and assets as possible while not paying any more taxes than you have to.   Spousal […]

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falling wooden blocks stopped by a hand

CAN SPENDTHRIFT TRUST PROTECT IRRESPONSIBLE BENEFICIARY?

Gabriel Katzner - May 8, 2023 - Trust Administration

Suppose you have spent your whole life building your wealth. You wanted to provide for your loved ones long-term, well after you were gone. But what if one of your children is a little irresponsible? Imagine a situation where one of your children has access to their inheritance and blows the first distribution in no […]

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Mand with a blind in his eyes using a lap top

BLIND TRUSTS: TYPES AND PURPOSES

Gabriel Katzner - April 24, 2023 - Trust Administration

Typically, a trustmaker establishes a trust to benefit their loved ones, a charitable organization, or some other third party. The money and property in the trust are distributed upon the trustmaker’s death according to the trust instructions. In some cases, a trustmaker, especially a public figure who values privacy, will want to establish a trust […]

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Inscription reading revocable trust in golden color with black background

WANT TO AVOID PROBATE: USE A REVOCABLE TRUST

Gabriel Katzner - March 27, 2023 - Estate Planning

In a perfect world, transferring money, property, and legacies from one generation to the next would be seamless. The paperwork and other concerns associated with the death of a loved one would pose minimal stress and family and loved ones could focus instead on the grieving process and remember their deceased loved one in peace. […]

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Man analyzing administrative data on a computer

A CHECKLIST FOR HIRING  A PROFESSIONAL TRUSTEE

Gabriel Katzner - March 6, 2023 - Trust Administration

If you have a trust as part of your estate plan, one of the most important decisions you will make is choosing your successor trustee.   This person will oversee your trust and manage it according to your wishes stated in your trust documents.   The trustee’s work can be time-consuming and complicated in larger […]

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Grantor-beneficiaries-letter-taxes-lawyer

BENEFITS OF INTENTIONALLY DEFECTIVE GRANTOR TRUSTS

Gabriel Katzner - February 16, 2023 - Trust Administration

Intentionally defective grantor trusts (IDGT) are designed to be tax-inefficient for the grantor but tax-efficient for the trust’s beneficiaries. They can be an excellent estate planning tool for minimizing estate taxes and maximizing accounts and property that is passed to your beneficiaries. The grantor of the trust, not the trust itself, retains certain powers over […]

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Married couple consolidating their trust

CONSOLIDATING MARITAL TRUSTS INTO ONE

Gabriel Katzner - February 1, 2023 - Trust Administration

If a married couple has the same beneficiaries, i.e., their children, does this mean the children will always have multiple trusts to deal with? The couple may choose to have joint or individual trusts. Keeping track of the property and accounts owned and invested in each trust can be complicated, especially if the estate is […]

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Senior Man signing a Right of occupancy Trust in order to ensure property and rights of loved ones

RIGHT OF OCCUPANCY TRUST: PROTECT WHAT YOU LOVE

Gabriel Katzner - November 22, 2022 - Trust Administration

Michael has a problem. He is a 70-year-old widow, and his adult daughter, Marie, is disabled and unable to support herself. He has two other adult children. How can he ensure Marie is cared for while being fair to his other two children? Marie has lived with him and his late wife for her entire […]

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Parents sitting together covering their child with a wooden roof

ESTATE PLANNING TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD’S INHERITANCE

Gabriel Katzner - November 17, 2022 - Asset Protection

The divorce rate is declining in the United States but remains between 31% and 42%. Your children enter their marriages sure that their marriage is strong and would never be subject to divorce, but it happens. In addition to concerns about your child’s happiness and your grandchildren’s welfare, you also need to ensure that your […]

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Requesting a judge to summon the trustee to respond the beneficiary needs

YOUR TRUSTEE IS NOT RESPONDING: WHAT TO DO

Gabriel Katzner - November 9, 2022 - Trust Administration

What to do when the Trustee doesn’t Respond Marci is the beneficiary of her great-aunt Margaret’s trust. Margaret told Marci that the trust would pay for all her educational expenses, no matter which university or degree she sought. Marci has contacted the trustee, Tom, several times. She has sent copies of her enrollment information, tuition […]

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