Estate Tax Apportionment: Who Bears the Burden of Paying the Tax?

Drafting estate planning instruments for clients whose definition of family is one that is fluid and inclusive is more important than ever. Estate planning attorneys have traditionally been accustomed to drafting provisions that exclude family members but doing so without caution may invite a successful probate challenge or worse. In this interactive workshop participants will learn about: 1. Drafting for clients with chosen family, though their biological family members are alive, and no adoption ever took place 2. Designing provisions for Lawful Permanent Residents who have U.S. citizen children but who otherwise have primarily non-U.S. family. 3. Crafting provisions that address disproportionate gifting and that assist in avoiding probate and probate challenges

Many clients used specific estate planning techniques prior to year end based upon projections about who would be President, the makeup of Congress, anticipated estate tax laws, and predictions about the economy and interest rates. Now that some of these issues are settled, we will review estate planning techniques that are available and discuss how to fix what we did and resolve client remorse.

Now is one of the best times to take advantage of charitable solutions to help clients make an impact in their community, transfer value and values to their family, and manage their taxes. From affluent to ultra-high net worth, whether an artist, executive, professional, or inheritor, there is a charitable strategy to consider. With interest rates that recently trended to new lows and tax law changes such as the SECURE Act, advisors have a robust toolkit filled with both familiar and novel charitable planning solutions. Learn why many advisors are recommending charitable lead trusts, testamentary charitable remainder trusts, testamentary charitable gift annuities, and donor-advised funds to their clients now more than ever.