Be Wary of Colorado Entity Renewal Notices from Unofficial Sources

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by Jody H. Hall, Paralegal

In the past week, our firm has had several clients receive in the mail, and fortunately ask us about, a form titled “2019 – Period Report Instruction Form (Colorado LLCs)”.  This form purports to advise the client that the annual report or renewal for their entity is now due; however, the form is not from the Colorado Secretary of State but is instead from a non-related company.  The form does list the specific entity name and address information and looks deceptively official; however, it also specifically states “… is not a government agency and does not have a contract with any governmental agency to provide this service.”

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Inheriting Vehicles – Sample Checklist Before You Go to the DMV

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by Jody H. Hall, Paralegal

As a probate paralegal, I spend a decent amount of time helping families transfer assets and completing forms.  One of the more common questions that I get is “What does one need to do and take to the DMV to transfer a vehicle title to the beneficiary?”  I typically go through the steps and let the client know all of the information they should have handy; however recently I discovered an awesome checklist from the Denver DMV.  While they state that this is specific to Denver County and you should check with the specific county, this is a really good starting point for all Colorado titles. Read more

No Contest Clauses – Not Just for Wills

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by Matthew Skotak

Fiduciary litigation continues to grow and often times outpaces the development of case law regarding the myriad of issues that arise in estate and trust disputes.  Historically fiduciary litigation involved disputing family members or changes in family circumstances.  However, another frequent source of litigation is the estate planning documents themselves.  For this reason, estate planners often include a no contest clause, or in terrorem clause, in a will or trust as a means of deterring feuding beneficiaries from challenging the validity of the instrument; yet, enforcement of these no contest clauses carries its own burden.

A no contest clause is more frequently contained in a will, although it can also be prudent to include these provisions in trusts – especially when the underlying concern is to discourage litigation over the decedent’s estate plan by disinheriting a person who unsuccessfully contests the will and/or trust.  The enforceability of these provisions varies from state to state; however, Colorado has determined that a no contest clause is valid when the contesting party lacks probable cause to bring their challenge.  See Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 15-11-517, 15-12-905.  Read more

Decanting to Eliminate a Beneficiary – New York Says Yes

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by Kelly Dickson Cooper

Settlors often ask whether they can change the beneficiaries of an irrevocable trust because life circumstances or relationships have changed. Often, the answer is no.  However, in a recent case in New York, the trustee was able to accomplish the settlor’s desire to disinherit one of his children through a decanting. Read more

Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover (or Fifty Ways to Plan, Administer and Litigate Estates)

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by Carol Warnick

As the old song by Paul Simon contemplates, there are fifty ways to leave your lover, and there are also fifty ways to plan, administer and litigate estates and trusts.  I have recently become aware of various situations in which attorneys assume that because things are done a certain way in the state in which they practice, they are done the same way in other states.

I am licensed in three states, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, and deal regularly with the significant differences between them.  For example, Colorado tends to use “by representation” in dealing with passing assets down the generations, but Utah and Wyoming both use “per stirpes.”  Read more

New Uniform Directed Trust Act

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by Kelly Dickson Cooper

More and more, I review trust agreements that appoint a trustee, but then appoint other individuals or institutions to perform certain tasks that are normally in the domain of the trustee.  They are sometimes referred to as trust protectors, trust advisors, trust directors, special powerholders, investment trustees, or distribution trustees.  I most often see these appointments in the areas of investments or distributions.

The trust language that attempts to divide the responsibilities of a trustee among a group is often unclear and give rise to difficult questions as to the scope of each individuals’ responsibilities.  There is also the question of whether the trustee is responsible for the actions of the other appointees and if the appointees are fiduciaries.  These problems with interpretation are often exacerbated because the laws are not clear about the division of these responsibilities and the liability of each actor.  Read more

IRS Rules on Tax Impacts of Trust Modification

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by Kelly Dickson Cooper

In my practice, I regularly answer questions regarding the permissibility and advisability of modifying irrevocable trusts.  With the enactment of a decanting statute in Colorado in 2016, these types of requests will only increase.  One of the major hurdles in modifying irrevocable trusts (and a trap for the unwary) is the potential tax consequences of a modification.  We often have to consider estate tax inclusion issues, the possibility of the imposition of gift taxes due to the modification, and the potential loss of generation-skipping transfer tax exemption for a trust. Read more

Fiduciary Duty to Elect Portability

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by Matthew Skotak

The Oklahoma Supreme Court recently upheld a ruling that has required the Personal Representative of an Estate to take the necessary steps to transfer the deceased spousal unused election (DSUE) to the surviving spouse. The case stems from the rights created by the federal gift and estate tax laws regarding portability.  More specifically, beginning in 2010 one spouse was allowed to transfer, at death, his or her unused gift and estate tax exemption to the surviving spouse. Prior to 2010, each spouse had his or her own gift and estate tax exemption, but any portion of that exemption which remained unused by the spouse at death could not be transferred to the surviving spouse.

In In re Estate of Vose, 390 P.3d 238 (Okla. 2017), the Personal Representative of the Estate, one of the children of the decedent by a prior marriage, had refused to make the required election for transfer even though the surviving spouse agreed to pay the cost required to prepare the necessary Federal Estate tax return to do so. Read more

Trump Foundation Admits to Self-Dealing

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by Kelly Dickson Cooper

The rules and regulations surrounding the operation of family foundations contain traps for the unwary and prohibit self-dealing transactions.  We regularly help families navigate the complex rules regarding self-dealing transactions for private foundations.

These self-dealing rules tripped up the Donald J. Trump Foundation, which has admitted that it has engaged in self-dealing.  How do we know?  A private foundation is required to file a Form 990-PF each year and that return requires a foundation to answer questions regarding its activities and transactions.  The following question caused issues for the Trump Foundation: “During the year did the foundation (either directly or indirectly): Transfer any income or assets to a disqualified person (or make any of either available for the benefit or use of a disqualified person)?  By answering “Yes,” the Trump Foundation has admitted that a self-dealing transaction occurred.  The Trump Foundation’s Form 990-PF (and many other foundations’ returns) are available through www.guidestar.com.

New Colorado Ethics Opinion Provides Guidance Regarding Missing Clients

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by Kelly Dickson Cooper

Picture this: you are representing a beneficiary of a trust in heated litigation.  The client is committed to the cause, but as time passes, the client stops returning your calls.  Despite your best efforts, the client seems to have fallen off the radar screen completely.  Late last year, the Colorado Ethics Committee provided guidance to attorneys who find themselves in this difficult situation.

Formal Opinion 128 states that if a client has gone missing since the representation began, the lawyer must take reasonable steps to locate the client, and, whenever possible, seek continuances of court deadlines, but still continue their efforts to contact the client.  “Reasonable steps” may include hiring a professional investigator, searching public records, and/or contacting family or friends of the client. Read more