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Archive for May, 2010

QTIP Trusts

Monday, May 24th, 2010

A qualified terminable interest property trust (QTIP) limits a surviving spouse’s access to, and control of, the trust property. Its main objective is to enable your spouse to use your assets at the same time that you determine the distribution of those assets. Under a QTIP trust, the spouse has direct access to any income from the trust assets for the remainder of his/her life, but the trust’s principal is actually left to someone else, usually one’s children.

A QTIP trust can offer many benefits to your family, especially if you are in a second marriage and you want to protect your assets for your children. You should consider the following provisions before making a decision:

• Giving your spouse the ability to change trustees. It may be difficult for your spouse to deal with the trustee you have chosen, so you may want to give him/her the opportunity to appoint another individual.

• Deciding how much discretion your spouse will have to make withdrawals from the trust principal. Placing too many restrictions on your spouse’s ability to make withdrawals may cause conflicts with the trustee. It may be a good idea to discuss these provisions with your spouse before making any decisions regarding withdrawals.

• Reviewing the trust’s beneficiaries with your spouse. Your spouse needs to know that regardless of what happens to his/her financial or personal situation, the trust cannot be altered.

A QTIP trust offers you the opportunity to make sure that your wishes are carried out and that your spouse’s future is protected. An estate planning attorney can help guide you through the process.

To learn more, visit http://www.littmankrooks.com.

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Don’t Leave Children Unequal Shares

Friday, May 14th, 2010

Siblings do not always receive equal shares of a parent’s estate. Sometimes the inequality is intentional and sometimes it is accidental. Regardless of how it happens, it can cause arguments among the children. However, there are some steps parents can take to promote family harmony.

If you intend to leave your children equal shares of your estate, don’t forget to consider any money or property held jointly with a child. Property in a joint account passes outside of your estate. If you add a caregiver child to one of your bank accounts out of convenience, the account will pass to that child alone when you die. This is true for any property held in joint tenancy or any property in a POD (Pay on Death) account. If you don’t intend for that child to receive a bigger share of your estate, you can add a provision in estate planning documents stating that any property passing through joint tenancy to a beneficiary will be treated as an advancement of that beneficiary’s share.

On the other hand, you may intend to leave one child a different share of your estate than your other children. For example, you may want to reward a caregiver child or you may feel that a child with a disability needs a bigger share. If you do decide to favor one child over another, you should explain in detail your reasoning in your estate planning document. This may help your children understand your decision. You also need to make it clear that it is your decision and not the influence of the favored child. If your children are unhappy with how much they have received, they may try to challenge your will.

A qualified elder law attorney can help you ensure your estate is divided the way you intend.

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Estate Planning After a Divorce

Saturday, May 8th, 2010

While all relationships do not end amicably, divorced or divorcing parents of minor children should put aside their differences in order to plan for their children’s future. There are several key issues that should be considered before or during a divorce: guardianship, financial inheritance, and remarriage.

Guardianship is an important issue that parents should discuss with great care. When you die, guardianship of your minor children will pass to their surviving biological parent. This is true even if you had full custody of the child, unless a court finds that the surviving parent is unfit to care for the child. You and your ex should discuss and provide for the appointment of alternate guardians. Doing so will make you and your children feel more secure about the future.

Your will should provide that your children’s share of your estate is held in trust. You will need to appoint a trustee who will be responsible for maintaining the trust assets, as well as making distributions to the guardian for the benefit of your child. It is important to remember that the trustee and guardian will have to work together on a regular basis. If you and your ex can agree on a trustee with whom you are both comfortable, it will make the process easier on all of the involved parties.

Remarriage inevitably affects your financial situation. It is important to remember that if you don’t make provisions for your children in your estate plan, your assets may end up going entirely to your new spouse when you die. This can be easily avoided. If your first spouse was the designated beneficiary of your 401(k), pension, life insurance policies or retirement plans, you should also remember to change the beneficiary designations, or your ex may end up with a considerable part of your assets, and your new spouse will be left out.

To learn more about New York elder law, New York estate planning, visit http://www.elderlawnewyork.com.

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