Blog & Resources

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: What if my son-in-law refuses to sign a prenuptial agreement? Can he claim a share of what I leave my daughter?

If your daughter marries without a prenuptial agreement, then commingles what she inherits from you with her husband’s assets, then she may well lose some or all of that inheritance after a divorce. Further, when she dies, she may well leave all of her inheritance to her husband, who is then free to leave those assets as he sees fit at his death.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: I am worried about having someone sue me in the future and would like to shelter my assets from creditors. I have read about Irrevocable Trusts and Revocable Trusts, do they both help avoid creditors and lawsuits?

A Revocable Living Trust is a wonderful tool with many uses, but it does nothing to help you avoid your creditors. Because a Revocable Living Trust is “Revocable.” That means you can take the assets back into your name at any time. Because you can take the assets back, any future creditor you have or any future lawsuit judgement against you can be enforced against the trust.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: I was told that I should make the Irrevocable Trusts I am setting up for my children “Spendthrift” Trusts. What does that mean, and what is the advantage of a Spendthrift Trust?

A Spendthrift Trust refers to an Irrevocable Trust created for a beneficiary that does not give the beneficiary the right to assign his or her interest in the trust to a third person, so that the trust assets are not subject to the beneficiary’s liabilities or creditor claims.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: My second husband and I live in a house that I own outright. If I die, I want him to be able to live in the house as long as he chooses, but I want my children to inherit the house when he moves out or dies. How do I keep them from evicting him from the house?

Avoiding conflict between children from the first marriage and the second spouse can be challenging, but if you are honest about the personalities involved, there is usually a way to satisfy everyone. One option in your case is to form a trust in your will that holds your house.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: I have some very nice pieces of jewelry that I would like to make sure stays in the family, passing from oldest daughter to oldest daughter. Can I form a trust in my will to hold jewelry?

Yes, in your will, you can form a trust to hold almost anything. In the past, I have formed trusts to hold real estate, artwork, and even a rather unique chair. The trust’s terms can be crafted to suit your needs, including making sure your jewelry is held for the eldest daughter.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: My son is getting married this fall and his fiancé refuses to sign a prenuptial agreement. I am worried that if I die, his share of my estate will end up going to her in a divorce. What can I do?

As part of your estate plan, we could incorporate in your will a trust to hold your son’s share of the estate. Simply put, if your money pours into a properly drafted trust rather than into your son’s hands, then your future daughter-in-law will have no claims to the assets in a divorce.

From our “Ask a Question” mailbag: I created a Revocable Living Trust to avoid probate with the Philadelphia Register of Wills, but I have decided that I would like to form a trust that would pay for my nieces college education. Can I do this using my Revocable Living Trust?

You can certainly form an Education Trust within the terms of your existing Revocable Living Trust. A Living Trust is divided into two main parts; the terms that apply when you are alive and the terms that apply after your death.

What I can do is draft an amendment to your existing Revocable Living Trust adding the Education Trust into the “what happens after your death” portion.

I am a resident of Camden County, New Jersey. If I have recently formed a Revocable Living Trust and moved all my New Jersey assets into the trust, do I still need a Will?

If the goal in forming your Revocable Living Trust was to avoid probate, then you must either transfer all your assets that would otherwise be Probate Assets into the Revocable Trust during your lifetime, or have them pour into the Revocable Trust at your death. That is often done by using a Payable on Death Account or naming the Trust as Beneficiary.

I am a resident of Burlington County, New Jersey. If I have recently formed a Revocable Living Trust and moved all my New Jersey assets into the trust, do I still need a Will?

If the goal in forming your Revocable Living Trust was to avoid probate, then you must either transfer all your assets that would otherwise be Probate Assets into the trust during your lifetime or have them pour into the Revocable Trust at your death. That is often done by using a Payable on Death Account or naming the Trust as Beneficiary.

Ensuring the financial well being of family after death is a fundamental concern for clients when estate planning. By Trust or by Will, various strategies exist to satisfy that concern. Keeping up to date on real cases helps ensure our strategies are appropriately tailored to your needs.

The Orphans’ Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania recently ruled on one family’s strategy in Zucker Estate. This case provides insight into how accurate trust drafting can achieve your financial support goals. The court focuses on the marital trust and critical difference between exclusive and non-exclusive powers of appointment. A factual background will serve as a point of reference for the key takeaways in Zucker.