I’ve Got My Estate Planning Documents, Now What Do I Do With Them? Graduation day. Your wedding. The birth of your child. The day you sign your estate planning documents. We all know that these are the biggest days of your life. Once you get home and you come down from the thrill you experienced…
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When and How Can a Trust be Modified? Plans, assets, laws, and family dynamics all change over the years. Whether it has been one year or thirty years since you established your trust, you may have changed your mind on some of your decisions. Maybe your son ticked you off, and you want to give…
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As 2025 comes to an end, it is always a time for reflection and gratitude. This year, we are grateful for our Charity Partner of the Year, Big Brothers Big Sisters. Their mission to serve our community through mentorship. We are grateful to our attorneys, Keith, Jon, and Trevor, for always leading by example and…
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New Montana Property Tax Rates for Homesteads and Rentals The 2025 Montana Legislature passed a new property tax system, which will take full effect in 2026. In general, most primary residences and long-term rentals will have lower tax bills, while short-term rentals, second homes, and commercial properties will have higher tax bills. High-value primary residences…
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Long-Term Care Benefits for Veterans Due to the exploding costs of long-term care facilities (some facilities in Great Falls have rooms that cost $12,000+ per month), a key component of modern estate planning is addressing long-term care costs. Montana Estate Lawyers attorneys often talk with clients about Medicare and Medicaid for long-term care. These programs…
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Changes in Tax Minimization Strategies President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) into law on July 4, 2025. Most importantly to our practice, the OBBB permanently raised the estate tax exemption to $15 million (with annual inflation adjustments) per person. This means a married couple has a total exemption of $30 million available…
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About our Charity Partner of the Year Vision All youth achieve their full potential. Mission We create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Youth in our program (Littles), ages 6 and older, are matched with a volunteer mentor (Bigs). Our qualified and specially trained staff create and support…
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Key Provisions from the One Big Beautiful Bill President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) into law on July 4, 2025. It is a massive piece of legislation touching on many areas of law. This article will focus on tax provisions that may impact our clients. Estate Tax All eyes in the estate…
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When Should I Start Taking Social Security? How Social Security Benefits Are Calculated Social Security benefits are based on your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME), which is calculated from your career earnings. Here’s how it works: 1. Indexing Earnings: Your past earnings are adjusted to reflect changes in average wages over time due to inflation.…
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Protecting Your Legacy: Online Password Security in Estate Planning In today’s digital age, estate planning isn’t just about physical assets—it also includes protecting online accounts and sensitive data. Whether it’s financial accounts, legal documents, or personal email access, strong password security plays a critical role in safeguarding your estate. Why Password Protection Matters Poor password…
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