How to Leave Assets to Minor Children from Austin Estate Planning Lawyer Liz Nielsen

minor children

Most parents want to make sure their children are provided for in the event something happens to them while the children are still minors. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and good friends sometimes want to leave gifts to beloved young children too. Unfortunately, good intentions and poor planning often have unintended results. Don’t make these common, expensive mistakes. Instead, here’s how to both protect and provide for the children you love.

How to Leave Assets to Adult Children from Austin Estate Planning Lawyer Liz Nielsen

Adult Children

When considering how to leave assets to adult children, the first step is to decide how much each one should receive. Most parents want to treat their children fairly, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they should receive equal shares of your estate. For example, it may be desirable to give more to a child who is a teacher than to one who has a successful business, or to “compensate” a child who has been a primary caregiver.

Setting Up a Donor Advised Fund to “Bunch” Charitable Contributions from Austin Estate Planning Lawyer Liz Nielsen

donor advised fund

Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the Tax Act), it is estimated that fewer than 10% of Americans will itemize on their income tax returns. However, you only receive a deduction for charitable giving if you itemize. Therefore, the vast majority of Americans will not benefit from a charitable deduction under the Tax Act.

One option for those who are charitably inclined is to “bunch” charitable deductions together and to itemize every two or three years. This can be done via a large gift directly to the charity, prepaying a pledge for the following year, or, if you would like to have the ability to decide when and how to make the contributions in future years, through a gift to a donor advised fund.

Three Questions Your Estate Planning Lawyer Should Ask You About Charitable Giving from Austin Estate Planning Lawyer Liz Nielsen

charitable giving austin attorney liz nielsen

All estate planning attorneys should be talking with their clients about charitable giving during an initial consultation. Ignoring the possibility of donating to charity can result in a lost opportunity both to you as the client and to the community.

Here are three questions your attorney should be asking you about charitable giving, either on your initial client worksheet or during your initial consultation.