A trust can be amended it a number of ways depending on whether the trust is revocable or irrevocable. Usually, an irrevocable trust cannot be modified unless there is a judicial modification or the trust terms allow for a modification. A recent court ruling in Florida now provides that a…
A trust is one of the most important estate planning tools available and can be used to achieve almost any estate plan’s purpose. A trust can even be drafted with provisions to allow the settlor, or the person who creates the trust, to set conditions for the beneficiaries to meet…
A living trust, revocable trust, or asset protection trust can be a great estate planning tool that offers a number of benefits, such as allowing assets to pass to beneficiaries without going through probate and avoid the claims of creditors. Once a trust has been created, the testator…
Here at the Law Office of David Goldman, we wanted to list some of the more important clauses that might be used in a Florida will or Florida Living Trust. Every person who makes a will or trust has different circumstances and therefore every will or trust is designed with…
There are many ways that a settlor, or a person who creates a trust, can help to prevent creditors from attacking the assets he or she leaves a beneficiary through a trust or a will. One of the best ways to protect a trust’s assets is through a spendthrift clause.…
Most people assume when they receive an inheritance, either through a will or a trust, that they must accept it. This is actually not the case as a beneficiary is also allowed to disclaim, or not to accept, the inheritance. Refusing an inheritance may seem like an alien concept, but…
The duties of a trustee vary depending on the laws of the state in which the trust is situated and the extent of the trustee’s powers provided for in the trust agreement. In some cases where there are conflicts between the terms of the trust and the state laws, the…
In Florida, a trust is not valid until funded. Many trusts need to be funded prior to your death to be used in the way intended. Often, individuals create trusts and forget to fund them during their life and do not receive the benefits that their trusts were designed for.…
The amount you can give anyone without having to file a gift tax return in 2015 remains the same as 2014 at $14,000. Remember that you can give your children, their spouses, your grandkids $14,000 each. In addition, if you are married, your spouse can also gift $14,000 to each…
The U.S. Supreme Court recently held that the funds contained in an IRA are not “retirement funds” and thus not protected from creditors during bankruptcy. The next question many attorneys now have is how this ruling will affect tax law? The Supreme Court justices felt there were three legal characteristics…