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Please Click HerePosted on February 14, 2022 by Ruder Ware Estate Planning Attorneys
You likely are aware, from the news and our prior communications, that Congress currently is considering proposals that may have a significant impact on many estate plans. Although we still cannot be certain which, if any, of the proposed changes will become law, we want to provide you with an overview of their potential effect […]
Posted on December 13, 2021 by Ashley L. Hawley
Drafting an estate plan allows a person to put into writing their wishes for division of assets upon death. Sometimes this means making a choice to give more to one child over the other, or to completely write out natural heirs of law. An uncle whose nephew is like a son to him may bypass […]
Posted on November 22, 2021 by Shanna N. Fink
Last week, I provided a brief overview of the gift tax in a vlog. You can view the vlog here. In this blog post, I’ll expand on basic gift tax concepts, just in time to make your holiday gifts. What is the gift tax? Basically, the gift tax is a tax imposed on the gratuitous […]
Posted on September 20, 2021 by Linda M. Danielson
So you’ve received an inheritance and you’re married. The person who left you the inheritance probably intended for it to benefit you, not your spouse, if you get divorced. How do you protect the inheritance? Wisconsin law provides limited protection. Under Wisconsin’s Marital Property Act, which governs the classification of assets during marriage and on […]
Posted on September 1, 2021 by Ruder Ware Alumni
Estate planning is a process that must be customized to fit each individual’s unique situation. Each individual has their own priorities and issues to address. The priorities and issues for an unmarried individual are often different than those for married couples. Some of the common priorities and issues that arise in estate planning for unmarried […]
Posted on August 4, 2021 by Ruder Ware Alumni
If you’re preparing to send a child off to college this fall, you should add two documents to your back-to-school checklist: (1) a power of attorney for health care, and (2) a durable power of attorney for finances. Without these two documents, you may not have the authority to make health care decisions or manage […]
Posted on July 22, 2021 by Ashley L. Hawley
“Probate” is a legal term for the Court process of transferring assets out of a deceased person’s name and to that person’s heirs and/or beneficiaries. The difference between the term “heir” and the term “beneficiary” is that an heir is someone who is entitled to receive the assets of a deceased person who died without […]
Posted on June 16, 2021 by Shanna N. Fink
Summertime is a special time of year in Wisconsin. It brings many families to cabins where they create memories and traditions that will be cherished forever. However, many problems arise if families do not create a plan for the future ownership and management of the family cabin. The cabin may be subject to the claims […]
Posted on April 19, 2021 by Mark D. Munson and Ruder Ware Alumni
Ruder Ware’s Trusts & Estates blog has featured several posts (for example, Call to Action: Review Your Estate Plan in Light of the SECURE Act and Why SECURE Act Matters to You) on the SECURE Act, a federal law effective January 1, 2020, that made significant changes to the payout provisions of inherited retirement benefits, […]
Posted on April 9, 2021 by Mark J. Bradley
In the United States Congress, there is an arduous journey before a bill becomes law. See the classic School House Rock! video, “I’m Just a Bill.” But there is a common theme running through some gift and estate tax bills that have been introduced in Congress this year. That is: an appropriate way to raise […]