Yesterday at my networking group meeting we were visited by a woman who runs a video production company catering towards attorneys. As she was introducing herself to the group, she stated that among the services she provides was filming depositions and allowing people to film video wills. At which my ears perked up. Video wills?… Read More
A “Holographic” Will is ALWAYS invalid in Florida, unless it is properly executed
One thing that makes our country both great and frustrating is that for certain types of law, there are often different, incompatible, conflicting laws that vary by state. On occasion, various committees are formed to draft “Uniform” Codes, but it is still up to the individual state legislatures as to whether or not they should… Read More
States Struggle to Deal with Congress’s Shameful Estate Tax Mess
The Year Without an Estate Tax continues. As I have previously written, due to Congress’s extreme irresponsibility and inability to get anything done at all, the Estate and Generation Skipping taxes are repealed in 2010, but for one year and one year only. Last December, in a post entitled, The Real Danger of the Expiring… Read More
From the Pet Trust Blog: What Is An “In Terrorem” Clause In A Will? (And Why They Aren’t Valid in Florida)
I recently discovered a new (to me) blog entitled the Pet Trust Law Blog, written by attorney Danny E. Meek. As you can tell from the title, Danny’s blog is dedicated to the issues of estate planning for people with pets — especially those who want to ensure that their pets are taken care of… Read More
Will “Portability” require EVERYONE to file a Form 706?
There has been a lot of talk recently about “portability,” that is the ability for one spouse to leave their unused lifetime exemption to their surviving spouse upon their death. Portability is included in Senator Baucus’s tax bill. For more on the subject see the link above at Greg Herman-Giddens’s North Carolina Estate Planning Blog. The… Read More