The federal tax code exerts an outsized influence on public perceptions of virtually every area of tax law. Perhaps that is understandable, given the wide applicability of that law. After all, its provisions apply across the nation and therefore affect more than 300...
Month: January 2014
Gifts to caregivers: the case of an heiress and her nurse
There is no doubt that caregivers play a unique and often crucial role in vulnerable people’s lives. When someone is struggling with an illness, old age or some other issue, the services of the person who helps with the accomplishment of daily tasks can be...
Estate planning in the shadow of the Abbey, part 2: estate taxes
In the first part of this post, we noted how easy it can be to overlook even the most basic estate planning steps. Even for a lawyer, such as the character of Matthew Crawley on "Downton Abbey," getting a proper will in place proved to be not at all straightforward....
Estate planning in the shadow of the Abbey, part 1: get a will
“Walking the talk” is a current phrase for an age-old reality. It is all too easy, in the abstract, to say people should take a given action. It is often more difficult, however, to actually follow through and do so. Sometimes this is simply due to human psychology,...
