Blog - "Altman Speaks"

Electronic Wills

What Is an Electronic Will? All legal documents have been printed on paper and signed with a pen. Our firm prefers this method and asks clients to sign at the office. But in today’s world, where we sign commercial contracts, create and run businesses, and buy everything from groceries to cars online, it seems almost […]

Memorial Day Weekend to Most of Us

To most of us, Memorial Day weekend is the kick-off to summer, beach life, flip flops, shorts, outdoor activities, barbecues, summer flowers, and many other activities. No matter how you celebrate, pause, and reflect on those brave men and women and their families who paid the ultimate price and gave their lives or came home […]

Which Distribution Method Is Best? Showing Your Children, the Love

Recently, I had an appointment with three siblings over their parents’ distribution wishes in the will. I thought this blog would explain parents’ choices when preparing for their estate planning. As parents, we generally want to do good things for our children while we are alive, and when we are gone and leaving them an […]

This past March, Tax Court Wins

The value of the QTIP trust in the estate of Pearl Kalikow was not reduced for undistributed income. Let’s look at the estate Sidney Kalikow, a real estate developer, died in 1990 with a last will and a QTIP trust for his wife, Pearl. The QTIP trust (Qualified Terminable Interest Property) included a requirement to […]

What Is HEMS and Why Is It Included in So Many Trusts?

In estate planning, you may come across the acronym HEMS occasionally. HEMS stands for “health, education, maintenance, or support” and is often included in trust agreements to guide a trustee on the distributions they may make to a trust beneficiary. When a trustee is limited to this distribution standard, often called an ascertainable standard, they […]

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Insurance

Last year I wrote regarding the new rule passed on Friday, January 21, 2022, about trust insurance. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) had approved a new rule to simplify the agency’s deposit insurance coverage regulations. Considering recent disconcerting happenings in the banking sector, I thought resending this post made sense. Life got more manageable […]

The Biggest Mistakes People Make with Their Wills

As estate planning attorneys, our clients often ask us what makes our wills stand out. Similarly, our clients often note that our wills are longer and have more provisions than documents they’ve seen in the past. In making such observations, however, our clients have avoided the most consequential mistake regarding wills – not having one. […]

Funding a Trust Do I Have Everything Titled Correctly?

So, you have completed, signed, and notarized your estate plan written by your estate attorney, and you think you are done. But getting the document drafted and signed is the first step. For any trust to be effective, you must complete funding your trust as soon as you can. But what is funding? A common […]

How to Amend Your Trust - The Dangers of DIY

When you create a revocable trust, you reserve the right to amend your trust during your lifetime, giving you the flexibility to change your estate plan as your circumstances evolve. But special care must be taken when changing your revocable trust. If you make handwritten changes to your revocable trust or attempt to amend your […]

A Guide to the Corporate Transparency Act

January 1, 2024 will bring a major change to the business world as the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) officially goes into effect. The CTA aims to create a database of companies’ beneficial ownership information (BOI) to aid in government investigations of criminal activity that shell entities would otherwise shield. Businesses must report their BOI to […]

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Recent Posts

Electronic Wills

Memorial Day Weekend to Most of Us

Which Distribution Method Is Best? Showing Your Children, the Love

This past March, Tax Court Wins

What Is HEMS and Why Is It Included in So Many Trusts?

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Insurance

The Biggest Mistakes People Make with Their Wills

Funding a Trust Do I Have Everything Titled Correctly?

How to Amend Your Trust - The Dangers of DIY

A Guide to the Corporate Transparency Act

1 2 3 … 71 Next »