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The Montana Estate Lawyer Name *   Email *   Phone *   Question or Comments Submit Friday, September 8, 2017 A Brief History of the Federal Estate Tax test Permalink Comment Subscribe via Email Subscribe via RSS Previous Posts Estate Planning Isn't Just for Married Couples Taypayer Bill of Rights Interview with Betsy Schaffer, Special Olympics Montana Athlete of the Year Our Charity Partner of the Year Probate Administration - Frequently Asked Questions Giving to Charity Estate Tax Exemption And Annual Gift Tax Exclusion For 2021 Montana Transfer on Death Deed Our 2020 Reminder to Relax and Enjoy Life (Whenever & However You Can) How to Own Your Real Estate in Montana Blog Categories Basics of good planning Business Exit Planning Charity Partner of the Year Coronavirus Family Matters Firm news Guest Blogs Health care Lessons From the Cinema Long-term care planning New Year's Resolutions Retirement Special Needs Planning Tax issues The Lighter Side Trust and Estate Administration Blog Links Archived Posts 2021 April Estate Planning Isn't Just for Married Couples March Taypayer Bill of Rights February Interview with Betsy Schaffer, Special Olympics Montana Athlete of the Year January Our Charity Partner of the Year Probate Administration - Frequently Asked Questions 2020 December Giving to Charity Estate Tax Exemption And Annual Gift Tax Exclusion For 2021 November Montana Transfer on Death Deed Our 2020 Reminder to Relax and Enjoy Life (Whenever & However You Can) October How to Own Your Real Estate in Montana Estate Planning Terms to Know Estate Planning Strategies to Consider in an Election Year Potential Tax Law Changes That Would Affect Estate Planning September The Work of a Legal Assistant August Preparing for Coronavirus: The #1 Legal Document Every Adult Needs to Have July Five Common Mistakes with "DIY" Estate Plans June Important Steps to Protect Your Special Beneficiaries May Protect Your Finances From Coronavirus Complications What should I do if I've received a Covid-19 Stimulus Check for a deceased person? March CORONAVIRUS / COVID 19: Essential Estate Planning Considerations for Yourself and Loved Ones February If A Decedent Dies Without A Will, How Are The Assets Distributed? January The SECURE Act and Your Estate Plan 2019 December New Year's Resolutions November Myth: A Will Avoids Probate October Estate Planning Awareness Week: The Importance to You and Your Family of Having an Estate Plan Why Living Trust Plans Don't Work September 529 Plans and Their Advantages August Your Estate Plan - Follow George Washington's Example The Grantor Trust - It's an Income Tax Concept July Who Should Handle Your Affairs? State Taxation of Trusts June Are you prepared if disaster strikes? Your Estate Plan – It’s Not Just About Your Assets, It’s About Your Legacy May Hospital Ordered to Pay $400,000 in Do-Not-Resuscitate Lawsuit Tanya is Retiring Coping with a Terminal Diagnosis: Getting Your Affairs in Order, Living Your Life April All Natural Ways To Cope With Grief & Loss Federal Estate Tax Portability March The “Death” Tax that Applies to Gifts January What are your options to pay for long-term care? A Checklist for Family of Immediate Tasks After the Death of a loved One (Originally posted May 16, 2014) Consider using a limited liability company in succession planning for your cabin or vacation home? 2018 December Who can make burial or cremation arrangements in Montana? November The Lighter Side--Everyone's Life is a Story Worth Sharing, Even if Make-believe October Long-Term Care: Planning and Paying for Your Eventual Needs The 2014 Farm Bill Expired, Now What? September The Best and Most Practical Financial Advice for Seniors August The 10 commandments of retirement Which Business Entity Makes The Most Sense For Your Business? The Importance of Estate Planning Think Twice About Adding Your Children to Your Bank Account or Other Assets July The Veterans Asset Protection Trust A New Tax Identification Number is Required for Revocable Living Trust After the Trustmaker's Death What Is a Living Will? Defining Your Goals June What a Will Does Not Do Estate Planning Tips for Families with Disabled Beneficiaries Discussing End-of-Life Arrangements With Your Loved Ones Montana has adopted the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act May Questions & Answers When Looking for an Elder Law and Special Needs Planning Attorney Estate planning for military families Common Misconceptions about Living Trusts The benefits of using an irrevocable asset protection trust for long-term care planning April The cost of long-term care continues to rise Effects of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) on Estate Planning Estate Planning 101 Pros and cons of taking Social Security at 62 March 10 Reasons Today's Retirees are Relying on Social Security Two provisions under the new tax law positively affect ABLE accounts Refinancing your principal residence when owned by your revocable living trust How Caregivers Can Deal With Stress Related Insomnia Three common mistakes to avoid when planning the succession of your business February The role of a premarital agreement in estate planning Safekeeping your estate planning documents Estate Planning - The Best Plan is YOUR Plan Estate Planning: Why you should NOT do it yourself January Use of a personal property memorandum – sometimes you need to sweat the small stuff Does equal mean fair in estate planning? Use of incentive trusts in estate planning Choosing Your Estate Planning Team 2017 December What is Estate Planning? Understanding IRA Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) Funding is vitally important in trust-based planning Our Living Trust Planning Process Montana Beneficiary Deed November Blog Anniversary The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: no change to treatment of retirement accounts Veterans Day – remembering my father and thanking all those that have served Helping Someone with Alzheimer’s Cope with a Spouse’s Death October The risks of holding assets as joint tenants in order to avoid probate Near Retirement? Five Plans You Must Have in Place. Single? Estate planning is still essential. Update – Montanans with disabilities can now establish ABLE accounts September Projected estate tax exemption and annual gift tax exclusion for 2018 5 Retirement Planning Steps to Take When You Divorce What effect does moving out of state have on your estate plan? A Brief History of the Federal Estate Tax How You Can Use Tech To Care For Seniors Far Away August Tough Decisions! The Beneficiary-Controlled Trust The Importance of the Step-Up Basis Rule Kids off to College? Key Legal Documents Needed. July Family Bank Trust Should You Consider an IRA Trust for Your Estate Plan? Spendthrift Provisions in Trusts 8 Estate Planning Things to Do Before You Travel June Estate Planning Checkup New IRS Ruling Extends Deadline to Elect Portability on Behalf of Surviving Spouse The American Health Care Act (AHCA) and its Potential Effect on Medicaid Standalone IRA Beneficiary Trusts for Inherited IRAs May It's time to "put" my mom in assisted living April Healthcare Documents – Nothing to Sneeze At! 2016 September Don't Be an Estate Plan Procrastinator April Cyber security. What can we do to protect ourselves? February Third-Party Special Needs Trusts 2015 December Update on the Military's Survivor Benefit Plan and the Disabled Child July Estate planning with a team-based approach June A Great Book about our Inadequate Healthcare System for the Elderly May Update – Montana has now implemented the ABLE Act March “Knowledgeable, Experienced and a Nice Guy.” Simple estate planning February Giving to Charity January An Overview of the ABLE Act 2014 December A Time for Gratitude Planning Checklist For Those Assisting Elderly Family Members November The importance of keeping your documents in order October A Family Meeting Can Play a Key Role in Your Estate Planning August The Decades of Your Life July We've Lost Margaret June Recent United States Supreme Court Decision Has Significant Effect on Inherited IRAs We Can Learn From Celebrity Estate Planning Mistakes Put Your Plan in Place and Share it with Family May A Checklist for Family of Immediate Tasks After the Death of a loved One What does Obamacare mean for you? April Estate Planning 101: Make Sure Your Beneficiary Designations Coordinate With Your Estate Plan Estate and Long-Term Care Planning – Lessons From Baseball March To Die at Home January How We Approach Estate Planning for Our Clients 2013 December Make your estate planning really meaningful. Use it to transfer your most important assets. November What Am I Thankful For This Thanksgiving? Jury Duty! The time bomb facing Montana businesses October At least one person thinks I'm right about medical records. You want the best health care? Take charge of your medical records. Getting better health care. August Mom's generosity + no planning = bad result A family wedding July Russian literature and estate planning. June The story of one farmer's estate planning. Yes, it can happen. Sharing Estate Planning with the Family. Estate planning is not long-term care planning. May This is why we do what we do. The importance of estate planning. Your graduate needs to sign healthcare documents - this summer. Leaving property to heirs: outright or in trust? A key to a successful business exit: "growing" an employee into an owner. April What if a business owner dies in the middle of an ownership transition process? Pet trusts - estate planning isn't just for humans! Who can an owner sell his small business to? March Planning for the Sale of the Family Business - Often Ignored When mom and dad want to leave property to the kids jointly. The family cabin - mom and dad's legacy The balancing act of estate planning. February Do you still need a bypass trust? January What the New Tax Law Means to You 2012 December Tis’ the season for the holiday Christmas parties…… November Fresh out of college! Who Cares? October Taking up the challenge! August We lost our senior partner. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS April Gifting to a Minor with Special Needs Gifting to a Minor with Special Needs January Digital Estate Planning Services 2011 December It's the Holiday Season - time to think about gifts. October Montana’s New Uniform Power of Attorney Act Whither the estate tax? September Dedication and Heart July The Military’s Survivor Benefit Plan and the Disabled Child – Elect with Care June Some simple planning ideas that are hard to carry out. May Loved Ones Becoming Adults April Planning with Special Needs Trusts March We now provide long-term care planning January Naming a Guardian for your Minor Children Special Needs Planning Our law firm, attorneys and lawyers handle matters throughout Montana (MT), including Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Havre, Helena, Kalispell, Lewistown, Livingston, Missoula, Shelby and Whitefish.