by Jody H. Hall In one of the many responses necessary to continue crucial business and legal services at the onset of the current pandemic, Colorado notaries became authorized to perform remote notarizations under Governor Polis’s Executive Order D 2020 019 dated March 27, 2020. That authorization has now been made permanent by SB 20-096 […]
by Carol Warnick While we deal with an unprecedented global pandemic which alters life as we know it for all of us, COVID-19 brings up concerns regarding our clients’ Advanced Directives that were prepared and signed during “normal” times. When thinking about being in a terminal or a persistent vegetative state, a client may have filled […]
by Kami A. Pomerantz From a tax and estate planning perspective, we would like to make you aware of the following: Tax Filing Extensions: The IRS has extended the filing and payment deadline for all 2019 income tax returns to July 15, 2020. This means that no penalty or interest will be assessed for an […]
by Jody Hall, Paralegal The 2020 cost of living adjustments of certain dollar amounts under the Colorado Probate Code has been published by the Colorado Department of Revenue. Probate practitioners should be aware of the change in figures related to the intestate share of a decedent’s surviving spouse, supplemental elective-share, exempt property, lump sum exempt […]
by Carol Warnick There has been considerable discussion regarding including arbitration clauses in estate planning documents over recent years. Some estate and trust attorneys are actively pushing for the inclusion of such clauses. Recently, an Arkansas Appellate Court held that an arbitration provision in a trust, if enforceable at all, would not be enforced to […]
by Jody H. Hall As a probate paralegal, I often assist personal representatives, trustees and family members in collecting information about their loved one’s assets. Life insurance proceeds can be a blessing to the family to pay for expenses and in relieving the financial burden after a death. However, while the client may think they […]
by Carol Warnick Individual trustees often fail to fulfill the duties imposed on trustees, not only by the trust instrument, by also by the trust statutes applicable in the jurisdiction. It is often the case that the individual trustee is a member of the family and seems to believe that the rest of the family […]
by Brooke Simons Anyone who has a pet knows that they are more than just companions, they are members of your family. Often, when people make decisions about their estate plans, they want to take these furry members of their family into consideration – you may remember that Leona Helmsley famously left $12 million to […]
by Carol Warnick In light of the recent dramatic weather events, including hurricanes and tornadoes, it is a good time to discuss preservation of estate planning documents. In many instances, people escape from their homes with only the clothes on their back, or even if they do have a bit of time to gather items […]
by Jody H. Hall, Paralegal The Instructions for Form 706 released in November 2018 included new addresses; however, we felt a reminder could be useful since the filing address changed mid-year. Effective for United States Estate (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Returns (Form 706) filed after June 30, 2019, Form 706’s should no longer be sent […]