Missouri is a common sense state and most of our laws reflect that. Missouri has a whole chapter of laws dedicated to non-probate transfers. These are ways that individuals can name or designate a beneficiary and thereby avoiding probate. One of the areas I see this most often relates to vehicles owned by a deceased […]
The simple answer has 2 parts. Each individual has an “annual exclusion” that allows them to give $14,000 per year to any number of individuals, without paying any gift tax. That means a wealth grandmother can give her 3 kids $14,000 each and each of her 7 grandchildren $14,000 each. The grandmother could give $140,000 […]
A previous posting discussed Estate Tax at the federal level. It is important to know that some states impose an estate tax as well. Thankfully Missouri is not one of them. The Tax Foundation published this map which shows a 50 state survey of which states have a state estate or inheritance tax.
The best part of my job is getting to meet and know my clients and their families. Occasionally, there is some icing on the cake when a client writes you a follow up thank you card or letter. Recently I received two. With their permission, I would like to share part of their comments with […]
makerspace: noun (mākərˌspās) sometimes also referred to as hackerspace, hackspace, and fablab, a place where people with shared interests, especially in computing or technology, can gather to work on projects while sharing ideas, equipment, and knowledge. Good things are happening in downtown Cape. It began with the award winning renovation of Broadway (http://goo.gl/eHTpPR) and has continued […]
When possible (and most of the time it is possible), we charge our clients flat fees for estate planning work. That way, our clients will know exactly how much it will cost to have their will, trust, or other estate planning documents prepared. A Canadian court had this to say about legal services, “A person […]
Clients often ask what steps can be done to protect their assets. My typical response: “what type of asset protection are you interested in?” Most clients aren’t quite sure how to respond… they are unaware that there are different types of asset protection available. The 3 most common types of asset protection I help clients […]
We are happy to work with your financial advisor. In fact, comprehensive estate planning often requires that we work with your financial advisor, accountant, and insurance professional. One local financial advisor breaks down wealth management into 13 parts. We are actively involved or responsible for 8 of the 13 parts (as shown by the *). […]
A significant number of my clients have rental properties. Many are casual landlords with just a few rental properties. Others have dozens of rental properties. In both scenarios, the owner of the rental properties can take some common sense steps to limit liability and protect their assets. First, the landlord should obtain adequate insurance. Our […]
Recently we sold my wife’s car via Craigslist. As part of that transaction, I drafted a Bill of Sale which may be of use to others. It is in Microsoft Word format and can be downloaded by clicking here: Missouri Bill of Sale. I used this document to supplement the documents required by Missouri law, and […]
