Updated Articles and Resources

By Julie Garber, About.com Guide

Overview of Maryland Estate Tax Laws Created: Tuesday, May 07, 2013 Updated: Friday, May 17, 2013
The estates of Maryland residents, as well as the estates of nonresidents who own real estate, tangible personal property, and/or one or more business entities located in Maryland, are subject to a...
Archive of 2013 Weekly Wills & Estate Planning Newsletters Created: Saturday, January 05, 2013 Updated: Friday, May 17, 2013
2013 Weekly Wills and Estate Planning Newsletters
How to Become a Florida Resident, Officially Created: Saturday, May 11, 2013 Updated: Sunday, May 12, 2013
If you are thinking about becoming a Florida resident, then follow the steps listed in this article to make your change of residence official.
How to Fund an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust Created: Monday, October 05, 2009 Updated: Sunday, May 12, 2013
If you have decided to create an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust, or ILIT for short, to hold and own your life insurance policies, then once the trust agreement has been signed you will need to fu...
What Does it Mean to Fund a Trust? Created: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 Updated: Sunday, May 12, 2013
In order for a Revocable Living Trust to function properly, it's not enough for the Trustmaker to simply the sign trust agreement. After the agreement has been signed, the Trustmaker must “fu...
What Documents Are Needed After Someone Dies? Created: Saturday, February 14, 2009 Updated: Sunday, May 12, 2013
After someone dies, the surviving family members will need to gather up all of the decedent's important papers. This will give the family members and/or attorney who will be assisting with settlin...
Where Should You Keep Your Estate Planning Documents? Created: Saturday, November 01, 2008 Updated: Sunday, May 12, 2013
Another frequent question that I'm asked as an estate planning attorney is, "Where should I keep my original estate planning documents?" The answer is really simple - in a safe and accessible plac...
Who Should You Tell About Your Estate Plan? Created: Saturday, November 01, 2008 Updated: Sunday, May 12, 2013
One of the most common questions that I'm asked as an estate planning attorney is, "Who should I tell about my estate plan?" As with most of estate planning, the answer isn't a simple one.
How Are a Deceased Person's Debts Handled Before and During Probate? Created: Saturday, January 31, 2009 Updated: Sunday, May 12, 2013
If your loved one has died and a probate estate will be required, then you'll need to understand how your loved one's final bills and other debts will be handled before and during the probate proce...
Top 6 Reasons for Updating Your Estate Plan Created: Saturday, August 30, 2008 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
As an estate planning attorney, I believe that it's my duty to contact my clients once a year through an annual review and maintenance program in order to remind my clients to think about their est...
Avoiding Probate By Adding Your Children to Your Deed - Good or Bad Idea? Created: Sunday, April 21, 2013 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
Many people believe that adding their children's names to the deed for their home is a good way to avoid probate of the home after death. But not so fast - adding your children to your deed should...
5 Myths About the 2012 Estate Tax and Gift Tax Laws Created: Saturday, April 21, 2012 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
At the end of 2010, the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act was signed into law by President Obama. While this law provides for sweeping changes to the rules go...
Choosing Beneficiaries for IRAs and 401(k)s: Initial Considerations Created: Sunday, August 17, 2008 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
If you have any of your assets held in a qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k) or IRA, then before updating your beneficiary designations to compliment the terms of your Revocable Living Trus...
Trustor Created: Saturday, September 27, 2008 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
Trustor
A Quick Guide to Florida Homestead Laws Created: Saturday, April 20, 2013 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
Florida has some quirky laws when it comes to your primary residence, which is referred to as your "homestead." Read on for a quick overview of these laws and how they can affect you and your fami...
Which States Do Not Collect a State Estate Tax? Created: Monday, August 31, 2009 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
Currently a majority of states do not collect an estate tax at the state level. Find out if your state is one of them.
Which States Still Collect a State Estate Tax? Created: Saturday, August 08, 2009 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
Currently only a handful of states and the District of Columbia still collect an estate tax at the state level. Find out if your state is one of them.
Famous Wills and Celebrity Estates - Actors, Actresses and Musicians Created: Sunday, January 23, 2011 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
Here you will find quick links to information about the wills, trusts and estates of famous as well as infamous actors, actresses and musicians.
Prince Diana's Estate - What Does Princess Diana's Will Say? Created: Saturday, May 19, 2012 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
Diana, Princess of Wales, died on August 31, 1997, at the young age of 36. Her last will and testament was signed several years before her death and the first and only codicil to the will was sign...
Will Your Estate Plan Work When It's Needed? Created: Sunday, March 02, 2008 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
One glaring problem that I see time and time again in my estate planning practice is that in reality most estate plans simply don’t work. There are a multitude of reasons why estate plans fai...
What is a Personal Representative? Created: Saturday, November 08, 2008 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
A Personal Representative, also referred to as an Executor/Executrix or Administrator in some jurisdictions, is the fiduciary put in charge of settling a deceased person's estate.
What is a Probate Judge and What Does a Probate Judge Do? Created: Saturday, November 08, 2008 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
A probate judge is the judicial official who is in charge of overseeing all aspects of probate estates in his or her jurisdiction. A probate judge's role in the administration of an estate will va...
How to Fund Real Estate into a Trust Created: Saturday, May 10, 2008 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
Deeding real estate into your trust is an important step, particularly to avoid ancillary probate if you own real estate in more than one state.
Understanding Individual Ownership of Property Created: Saturday, March 07, 2009 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
There are three basic ways that you can own property: in your individual name, in joint names with others, and through contract rights. Whether or not a particular asset that you own at the time of...
Annual Exclusion From Gift Taxes: 1997 - 2013 Created: Friday, February 27, 2009 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
The annual amount exempt from the federal gift tax, called the annual gift tax exclusion, was indexed for inflation beginning in 1997 and has slowly increased over the years. Here you will find a ...
What is Portability of the Estate Tax Exemption? Created: Saturday, December 18, 2010 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
On December 17, 2010, President Obama signed the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 into law. Part of this new law is modification of the federal esta...
George Steinbrenner's Estate - Follow the Probate Court Proceedings Here Created: Tuesday, August 03, 2010 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
If you're interested in keeping up to date on what's going on with the probate of George Steinbrenner's will and estate, then follow the links and instructions provided in this article.
Testator/Testatrix Created: Thursday, October 09, 2008 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
Testator/Testatrix
Heir Created: Saturday, March 29, 2008 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
Heir
State Inheritance Tax Chart Created: Monday, September 07, 2009 Updated: Thursday, May 09, 2013
Currently the District of Columbia and a handful of states collect a state estate tax, while only a six states collect a state inheritance tax. Learn the difference between an estate tax and an in...
States Without an Estate Tax or an Inheritance Tax in 2013 Created: Saturday, February 09, 2013 Updated: Thursday, May 09, 2013
Currently a majority of U.S. states do not collect an estate tax or an inheritance tax at the state level. Find out if your state is one of them.
States With an Estate Tax or Inheritance Tax in 2013 Created: Saturday, February 09, 2013 Updated: Thursday, May 09, 2013
In 2013 less than half of the U.S. states still collect an estate tax or an inheritance tax (or both) at the state level. Find out if your state is one of them.

Wills & Estate Planning