Estate Planning Update July 2026 2026 Annual Gift Tax Exclusion: remains $19,000 per donor, per donee. 2026 Gift and Estate Tax Exemption: increased to $15,000,000 per person this year (an increase of $110,000 per individual or $220,000 for a married couple) and made permanent. Marital Deduction for Transfers to U.S. Spouse: remains unlimited. 2026 Generation [...]
In today’s evolving workplace, clarity and consistency are essential for building strong employer-employee relationships. One of the most effective tools for achieving this is a well-drafted employment agreement. Far from being just a formality, an employment agreement plays an important role in protecting businesses, setting expectations, and fostering long-term success. What is an Employment Agreement? [...]
Mom died leaving various real estate investments to her children in trust. The children were also named as co-trustees. Unfortunately, mom made pre-death transfers to some of the children. The co-trustees engaged DeAngelis Legal to assist them to sort out the issues with these transfers. The issues addressed included: (1) determining if the pre-death transfers [...]
Quinn sailed from Ecuador to French Polynesia, a 3,000-mile trip across the Pacific. Sailing 24 hours a day for 19 days chasing the Southern Cross and other constellations took its toll on him, but he returned refreshed and ready to go. Interestingly, Quinn attributes his longevity in the demanding practice of law to these "relaxing" [...]
DeAngelis Legal performed a five-year review of a current high net worth Scottsdale couple’s estate plan in connection with the 2025 estate tax changes. After the review, the couple identified several areas that they desired to change, including the distribution scheme and lifetime gifting. DeAngelis Legal prepared the updated estate plan documents and implemented the [...]
You have the power (maybe). Financial powers of attorney allow you (the principal) to appoint someone you trust (the agent) to perform certain acts related to your financial affairs on your behalf. These instruments have a variety of uses, but are often used in the estate planning industry in in conjunction with, or in lieu [...]
Because the values of a married couple’s estate and the amount of the estate tax exemption change over time, estate planners commonly use formulas in a will or trust to avoid inadvertently triggering an estate tax on the first spouse’s death. These formulas divide a deceased person's assets between a marital share which qualifies for [...]
Estate Planning Update January 2026 2026 Annual Gift Tax Exclusion: remains $19,000 per donor, per donee. 2026 Gift and Estate Tax Exemption: increased to $15,000,000 per person this year (an increase of $110,000 per individual or $220,000 for a married couple) and made permanent. See paragraph 6(a) below. Marital Deduction for Transfers to U.S. Spouse: [...]
Holding Vacation Rental Homes in an LLC: Liability, Insurance, and Tax Considerations Owning a vacation rental home can be a rewarding investment, but it also comes with its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to liability, insurance, and tax implications. Unlike these little turtles who will grow their own protective shell, vacation rental [...]
After updating his estate plan with DeAngelis Legal, a client inquired about alternatives for dealing with an irrevocable trust created by a prior law firm. DeAngelis Legal worked with the client to flush out his core concerns and objectives for his family, reviewed the trust instrument and applicable law to find alternatives and worked with [...]
