A trustee usually has quite a bit of discretion in their management of a trust’s accounts, money, and property (known as assets). At the same time, as a fiduciary, a trustee also owes the trust’s beneficiaries a duty of loyalty, which prohibits the trustee from self-dealing. This blog has touched on a trustee’s fiduciary duty […]
Estate Plan
Using Transfer-on-Death Deeds from Austin Estate Planning Attorney Liz Nielsen
One thing which will virtually guarantee your estate will go through probate is real property. That’s right, if you own your home in your name individually (meaning you have not created an entity like a trust or LLC, and have not transferred the property’s title to that entity), then your estate will need to go […]
Estate Planning Considerations for Couples with an Age Gap from Austin Estate Planning Attorney Liz Nielsen
With couples of similar ages, planning for the future is naturally a joint effort. However, if your marriage has a sizeable age gap, meaning you are married to someone who is significantly older or younger than you, the future can look different and mean different things to each of you. To protect yourself, your spouse, […]
When a Gift May Not Be a Gift: the Burden of Gift Taxes from Austin Estate Planning Attorney Liz Nielsen
It is better to give than to receive. But if you give a gift above a certain amount, you might end up owing money to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The federal tax code has very specific rules about how much you are allowed to transfer to others each year—and over the course of your lifetime—in […]