Fear-mongers have used the inter-vivos trust, also called revocable living trust, to sell books, trust kits, trust documents and other products and services. They often do this without regard to the individual’s tax and personal objectives. They scare the client by telling them that probate is a dreadfully complicated and horrendously expensive process. Then they
Innocent Spouses Can File for Tax Relief
“For Better, For Worse; For Richer, For Poorer”
You’ve heard of the “marriage penalty” — two people married to each other with the same income as two single people pay more taxes. Let me tell you about another “marriage penalty.”
If you file a joint return with your spouse and there is a problem and
Pennsylvania Trust & Estates Attorney Launches New Trust Administration Firm
Spencer Fiduciary Services offers trust and estate expertise to law firms and banks
LANCASTER, PA – May 27 – BUSINESS WIRE – At a time when law firms are scaling back operations or completely dissolving, Pennsylvania-based trust and estates attorney Patti S. Spencer has taken the bold step of starting a new corporate entity.
Spencer
Is the AIG Bonus Clawback Tax Constitutional?
"The power to tax involves the power to destroy."
–Chief Justice John Marshall in McCulloch v. Maryland
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other congressional Democrats have proposed a 91% tax on bonuses given to executives of AIG and other companies. The proposed legislation is a way to recover the $165 million paid
Florida Estate Planning Lawyer Blog
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Munchkin Litigation
Michael Sorkin of the St. Louis Post -Dispatch reports on alleged undue inffuence exerted by an elderly munchkin’s caretaker:
Heirs sue to gain control of Munchkin Mickey Carroll’s assets
Mrs. Astor Regrets
Joel A. Schoenmeyer wrote an excellent review of Mrs. Astor Regrets, by Meryl Gordon.
Attorney Schoenmeyer says: "I just finished reading Meryl Gordon’s book Mrs. Astor Regrets, and highly recommend it. The story should be interesting to anyone who likes a lurid tale that’s well-told, but it has special interest to those interested
Dee Dee Ramone’s Executor Sues to Stop Book
According to the AP story:
The executor of Dee Dee Ramone’s estate has gone to court to stop publication of a book about the late punk rocker by his first wife.
Executor Ira Herzog says Vera Davie of Port St. Lucie, Fla., violated an agreement to let him review and change anything she wrote
Texas judge allows collection of dead son’s sperm
Thank you to Professor Gerry W. Beyer for this interesting piece of news:
Harvest of a dead man’s sperm authorized by Texas judge.
Here is the story from the AP: click here.
Let me get this straight. A 21 year old guy dies after a bar fight. His mother wants his sperm so
Brooke Astor’s Son Goes On Trial This Week
Jury selection begins Monday March 30, 2009 for the trial of Anthony Marshall, Mrs. Astor’s son. The trial is expected to last two months.
As reported in the New York Times, "Prosecutors will argue that Mr. Marshall and Mr. Morrissey knew that Mrs. Astor, suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, had deteriorated mentally, but that they exploited