estate planning

The Benefits of A Special Needs Trust

March 22, 2012 15:27

The Benefit of a Special Needs Trust (aka Supplementary Needs Trust) Once you have a special needs child, you become aware of a vast array of applicable laws and regulations almost by osmosis. From medical appointments, to specialists, to therapies, to educational plan meetings, parents of special...

Samuels Yoelin Kantor LLP in the News: Virtual Assets

March 21, 2012 20:28

While we are alive and competent, access to and possession of "virtual assets" (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Flickr accounts) and information poses no legal problems.  However, at the death or incompetence of the owner, the fiduciary (personal representative, conservator or trustee)...

Can a Murderer Inherit Money from His Victim?

March 21, 2012 16:43

Slayer Statutes: Killers Lose Everything Last week I told you about the trend of Baby Boomers eagerly awaiting their inheritances from their aging, and presumably wealthy, parents. In order to anticipate the problem of heirs apparent taking matters into their own hands, many states have enacted so...

Supreme Court to Determine What A “Surviving Child” Includes

March 20, 2012 16:03

Is a Posthumous Child a Survivor for Benefit Purposes? This case will have a huge impact on Estate Planning and Family Planning alike. At issue in the case before the U.E. Supreme Court is what the term “surviving child” really means in determining eligibility for Social Security...

Blood Relatives and Stepchildren

Byron Cannon
March 19, 2012 23:45

I read with interest a recent article in the Australian Newspaper in relation to a  Victorian Supreme Court decision where a stepdaughter was awarded a large payment by the Court for a claim made against her stepfather’s estate. The claim was made against the estate of the late Harold...