Probate Attorney Blog

Happy Sunday! No big estate planning tips this week – the Olympics are on! Every four years when the Olympics roll around I always think to myself, “I’m going to find a really off the wall, niche, Olympic sport, get really good at it, and then qualify for the Olympics!” Then I start watching the athletes compete, and I quickly remember, “oh yeah, the people in those sports are REALLY good and have been practicing and working on their skills…

Happy Sunday! This week I wanted to talk about a probate that came into our office this recently – and the disastrous results that almost ensued. It is the wrong way to do estate planning with minor kids – and something I see more often than I’d care to admit. Here’s the backstory. Someone called our office because their parent had died. The caller was not a minor. They were an adult. They told us there was a Will and…

Curious about how the gift tax affects you and your financial planning? In this informative video, Christopher Small from CMS Law Firm demystifies the gift tax process. He explains the lifetime giving exemption, annual gifting limits, and what happens when you exceed those limits. You’ll also learn about important exceptions for educational and medical expenses. Perfect for small business owners seeking straightforward advice, this video will help you navigate gift taxes with confidence. We do estate planning. We do probate….

Welcome to another Rich Life Letter, the weekly newsletter of CMS Law Firm LLC (written by Christopher Small, the founder of the firm). My goal here is simple – give you one thing each week to make your life “richer.” Enjoy!three reasons to have an irrevocable trust… Happy Sunday! Today I thought it would be fun to talk about irrevocable trusts. We hear about them from time to time as this estate tax and asset protection savior, and because they…

Happy Sunday! Today I thought it would be fun to talk about irrevocable trusts. We hear about them from time to time as this estate tax and asset protection savior, and because they sound cool and kind of elite people want to have one. Well, today you’re going to get a crash course in irrevocable trusts. First, what is an irrevocable trust? As the name implies, it is a trust that cannot be revoked (modified) once it is created. Typically…

Do revocable living trusts need maintenance? The short answer is, no, they don’t. The only time you’d ever need to take action with respect to your revocable living trust is if you want to change something within the trust. If you don’t, your trust will just live along with you year after year until it is needed. Hope this helps! And a friendly reminder, if you need estate planning or probate help we’re here for you! Estate Planning Help ->…

Normally I’d start this message off with “Happy Sunday!”, but not today. Today we are once again reminded of the lack of control we have over our lives in the universe. As I’m sure you know, there was an assassination attempt at the rally of Donald Trump yesterday. And, during that incident, a person attending the event was killed. His name was Corey Comperatore. He was 50 years old. He was a husband. He was a father. And, when he…