Although a Last Will and Testament is likely the cornerstone of your estate plan, you will also probably incorporate additional estate planning tools and strategies into that plan to ensure that all your goals are reached.  Many people, for example, include a trust in their estate plan. The best way to ensure that you do not make any mistakes with the trust you create is to work closely with an experienced estate planning attorney. In addition, the Grand Forks trust attorneys at German Law … [Read more...] about Trust Mistakes to Avoid

If you are one of the many people who choose to include a trust as part of your overall estate plan, one of the most important decisions you will make when creating that trust is your choice of Trustee. In fact, your choice of Trustee could be the key factor in determining whether your trust succeeds or fails. To help you better understand the importance of choosing the right Trustee, the trust attorneys at German Law | Wealth explain how your Trustee can threaten the success of your … [Read more...] about How Your Trustee Can Threaten the Success of Your Trust

If your estate consists of significant assets, one of your primary considerations within your estate plan should be the impact federal gift and estate taxes will have on your estate after you are gone. One estate planning tool you may decide to use is an Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust (“IDGT”). The Grand Forks trust attorneys at German Law | Wealth explain how an Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust can be used to transfer wealth to family members during your lifetime. Intentionally … [Read more...] about Why Would I Want a Trust to Be Defective?

A comprehensive estate plan will typically incorporate a wide variety of estate planning tools and strategies into the plan to accomplish the plan’s goals and objectives. Among the most popular of those tools is a living trust. Only your estate planning attorney can help you decide if a living trust would be a beneficial addition to your estate plan; however, to give you an idea of how one might fit into your estate plan, the Grand Forks trust lawyers at German Law explain common reasons you … [Read more...] about Reasons to Create a Living Trust

A living trust is a common addition to the average estate plan. If you are contemplating the creation of a living trust, you will need to decide if your trust will be a revocable living trust or an irrevocable living trust. As the name implies, an irrevocable living trust is one that cannot be modified or revoked by the Trustor once the trust is established. You may be wondering why you would want to make your trust irrevocable. The Grand Forks trust lawyers at German Law explain why you might … [Read more...] about Why Would I Want a Trust to Be Irrevocable?

Often, the most difficult part of creating an estate plan is not deciding who to leave your assets to, but deciding how to leave those assets to the intended beneficiaries. Simply handing over a sizeable inheritance isn’t always the best way to structure your estate plan for one reason or another. When that is the case, a Grand Forks living trust attorney at German Law explains how a living trust can help you to avoid living a lumpsum inheritance. Why Shouldn’t I Pass Down a Lump Sum … [Read more...] about How Can a Trust Help Protect an Inheritance?

At some point in your life, you will likely realize the need to expand your initial estate plan. When you do so, you may decide to incorporate a trust into your expanded plan. One of the most important decisions you will make when creating your trust is your choice of Trustee. Once that decision is made, you will also need to decide how much discretion your Trustee should have. To explain the importance of providing just the right amount of discretion, a Grand Forks trust administration attorney … [Read more...] about Should My Trustee Be Able to Make Discretionary Decisions?

Over the years, trusts have evolved to the point where it is now common to find at least one trust agreement in even a simple estate plan. One reason for the popularity of trusts is the numerous and diverse estate planning goals that can be accomplished using a trust. If philanthropy is part of your everyday life, for example, you may wish to consider using a trust to continue that charitable gifting in your estate plan. A Grand Forks trust attorney at German Law explains how to make a charity … [Read more...] about Can a Charity Be a Beneficiary?

Having at least a basic estate plan in place is important for every adult. If you are the parent of a young child, however, the need for careful estate planning is heightened. Your minor child cannot manage his/her own inheritance. Consequently, you must choose someone to do so for your child. The Grand Forks estate planning attorneys at German Law help you choose the right Trustee for your child’s inheritance. How Will You Pass Down Your Child’s Inheritance? When you contemplate passing … [Read more...] about Picking a Trustee for Your Child’s Inheritance