Probate Attorney Blog

 Many people assume that creating a revocable living trust is a surefire way to save on estate taxes. In reality, that’s not the case. Unless you have a very specific type of trust, such as a credit shelter trust, a standard revocable living trust won’t provide estate tax advantages. Why Revocable Living Trusts Don’t Save on Estate Taxes The reason is simple: you and the trust are legally the same. Any assets you place in a revocable living trust…

Happy Sunday! Today I wanted to talk about how to update your estate plan. As with most legal matters, it is both pretty straightforward and easy to mess up if you don’t know what you’re doing. Thankfully you’ll know everything you need to know by the time you are done reading this. First, the wrong way. You decide it’s time to update the trustee of your trust. It was John Smith and now you think Jane Smith would be better….

Happy Sunday! Today I wanted to talk about something that comes up every once in a while for clients – title companies and what they actually do. Before I get into that, I want to mention one other real estate question we get all the time – “I looked at the county website and it doesn’t show my property is in my trust. Did you guys move my property into my trust?” It’s important to know that the website has…

If you’re using QuickBooks for bookkeeping, you might be running your payroll all wrong—especially if you’re a law firm owner or managing a small business. Many of our bookkeeping clients come to us with payroll issues that stem from relying on QuickBooks for tasks it wasn’t designed to handle. Here’s why switching to Gusto can simplify your workflow and reduce headaches. QuickBooks vs. Gusto: Knowing Their Strengths QuickBooks is excellent at one thing: bookkeeping and accounting. It tracks income, expenses,…

 One of the most common questions I hear is: why does probate take so long? If you’ve ever been through the process, you know it can feel frustratingly slow. The truth is, it’s not just one delay — it’s a series of steps, each with its own waiting period. Let’s break down the probate timeline so you know exactly what to expect. Step 1: Preparing and Filing the Paperwork The process begins with obtaining the death certificate and preparing…

Placing real estate into a revocable trust is one of the most effective ways to ensure your estate plan works smoothly. Fortunately, the process is straightforward—but it’s important to do it correctly. I’ll walk you through the basics of how it’s done and why it matters. The Basic Process Moving property into your revocable trust generally requires just one key step: executing a new deed. Here’s what that looks like: Prepare the deed. Typically, this will be a quitclaim deed….

 When you inherit real estate, one of the most important — and often overlooked — steps is determining the property’s value. Get this right, and you can significantly reduce the taxes owed when you eventually sell. Get it wrong, and you may end up with a larger tax bill than necessary. Let’s break down how to handle this the right way. Why the Property’s Value Matters When someone passes away, the tax basis of their property resets to its…