Estates and Trusts Commons^™

Front Matter

ACTEC Law Journal

No abstract provided.

How To Draft Trusts To Own Retirement Benefits, Keith A. Herman

ACTEC Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Ira Administration For High Net Worth Clients And Their Beneficiaries -- Unique Challenges And Best Practices For Financial Institutions, Svetlana V. Bekman

ACTEC Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Eliminate State Tax On Trust Income: A Comprehensive Update On Planning With Incomplete Gift Non-Grantor Trusts, Kevin R. Ghassomian

ACTEC Law Journal

Private letter rulings dating back to 2001 affirm various tax attributes of incomplete gift non-grantor trusts, known popularly as "DING Trusts," which have been used by taxpayers to relocate investments from high-tax states to no-tax states. In 2007, the Internal Revenue Service questioned the integrity of its rulings on the DING Trust and cast doubt on its continuing viability for tax planning purposes. After nearly six years of indecision, a flurry of favorable new rulings was released in March of 2013, restoring widespread confidence in the DING Trust as an option for taxpayers seeking relief from rising income tax rates. …

The Intermediary Clat Alternative To The Residuary Estate Family Foundation Gift, Richard S. Franklin, Jennifer A. Birchfield Goode

ACTEC Law Journal

No abstract provided.

State Taxation Of Trusts And Their Beneficiaries When There Are Multiple State Contacts, John Mcgown Jr.

ACTEC Law Journal

This article examines the state income taxation of testamentary trusts and individual trust beneficiaries when there are multiple state contacts. For matters of illustration, the focus is on states comprising the Northwest Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and Utah. Since three of these states have no individual income tax, essence of the inquiry is limited to the state income tax systems of Idaho, Utah, Montana, and Oregon. Although the focus is on states in the Northwest, the concept applies nationwide. Before moving on to an examination of the state taxation topic, a review of the basic federal system of …

Killing Your Chances Of Inheriting: The Problem With The Application Of The Slayer Statute To Cases Of Assisted Suicide, Ryan Konsdorf, Scott Alden Prulhiere

ACTEC Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Wills, Trusts, Guardianships, And Fiduciary Administration, Mary F. Radford

Mercer Law Review

This Article describes selected cases and significant legislation from June 1, 2012 through May 31, 2013 pertaining to Georgia fiduciary law and estate planning.

Wills, Trusts, And Estates, J. William Gray Jr., Katherine E. Ramsey

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.

Washington Trust Laws' Extreme Makeover: Blending With The Uniform Trust Code And Taking Reform Further With Innovations In Notice, Situs, And Representation, Karen E. Boxx, Katie S. Groblewski

Washington Law Review

Washington trust laws were comprehensively revised in 2011 and 2013, resulting in the integration of concepts from the Uniform Trust Code and the addition of some novel provisions. This article discusses in depth the evolution of Washington law regarding the duties to inform and report, the situs of a trust, and representation of interested parties. In addition, this article discusses other UTC provisions that were integrated into Washington statutes and gives an explanation of any departures from UTC language and prior Washington law.

Au Revoir, Will Contests: Comparative Lessons For Preventing Will Contests , Margaret Ryznar, Angelique Devaux

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Trusts & Estates Law—Trust Protectors—Increasing Trust Flexibility And Security While Decreasing Uncertainty Of Liabilities For Doing So: How Amending Ark. Code Ann. § 28-73-808 To Better Conform With The Modern Trend Of Clarifying Trust Protection Could Effectively End The Fiduciary Guessing Game In Arkansas, J. Andy Marshall

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

No abstract provided.

Incomplete Wills, Adam J. Hirsch

Michigan Law Review

This Article explores the problems that arise when a will fails to dispose of an individual's entire estate, so that she dies partially testate and partially intestate. The questions then raised include (1) whether provisions contained in the will purporting to redefine the individual's intestate heirs should supersede the statutory designations of those heirs, (2) whether inter vivos gifts to heirs should qualify as advancements on the inheritances of those heirs under conditions of partial intestacy, and, most broadly, (3) whether courts should fill in the incomplete portion of an individual's estate plan by extrapolating from the distributive preferences set …

Who Killed The Rule Against Perpetuities?, Grayson M. P. Mccouch

Pepperdine Law Review

During the last two decades more than half the states have either abolished or substantially weakened the traditional rule against perpetuities. The increased demand for perpetual trusts is widely attributed to the ability of such trusts to avoid federal wealth transfer taxes. Furthermore, recent empirical studies confirm a correlation between repeal of the rule against perpetuities (coupled with favorable state income tax treatment) and increased personal trust assets and average account size. This symposium article discusses the asymmetric benefits and drawbacks of perpetual trusts and concludes that the decline of the rule against perpetuities cannot be explained solely in terms …

Distracted From Distraction By Distraction: Reimagining Estate Tax Reform, Edward J. Mccaffery

Pepperdine Law Review

Recent legislation has left a gift and estate tax that will apply to far fewer than 1% of all decedents each year. This Article, prepared for a symposium on Tax Advice for the Second Obama Administration, argues that the estate tax has become largely irrelevant, except ironically as a spur to the creation and perpetuation of dynastic wealth via 'Dynasty Trusts.' The tax no longer meets any compelling policy rationale, such as raising revenue, 'backing up” the income tax, injecting progression into the tax system, or breaking up large concentrations of wealth. It is time to move on, and to …

Repulsed By Rap? Renewal Options Are Singing A Different Tune: An Analysis Of Bleecker Street Tenants Corp. V. Bleeker Jones, Llc, Jonathan M. Vecchi

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Book Review, David Mckibbin Iii

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Trimble V. Gordon: An Unstated Reversal Of Labine V. Vincent?, John A. Boyd

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

In Search Of A Less Tentative Totten, R. Wayne Estes

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

ACTEC Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Federal Tax Treatment Of Disclaimers Of Future Interests: A Call For Reform, Trent S. Kiziah

ACTEC Law Journal

Federal tax laws essentially preclude individuals with a future interest from disclaiming because the time in which a qualified disclaimer can be executed may pass before the person becomes aware of the interest and long before the interest becomes possessory and fixed as to quality and quantity. This article examines the state of the law prior to enactment of these limiting tax provisions, examines the call for reform by commentators, and examines the legislative history resulting in the current law. The author asserts Congress made an informed decision albeit a poor one. The author recommends Congress revisit the issue and …

The Life And Death Of The Ipswich Grammar School Trust: Is Enduring Dead Hand Control Possible?, Ronald Chester

ACTEC Law Journal

This article examines the reasons for the 360-year longevity of the Ipswich (Mass.) Grammar School trust, which was in force from 1652 to 2012, the longest-running charitable trust in American history. It concludes that the cornerstone of the trust’s longevity was the emphasis of its major donor, the Puritan William Paine, on open-handed contribution to the community, rather than dead hand control. A wealthy merchant and landowner and friend of Massachusetts Bay Colony Governor John Winthrop and his son, Paine imbued his commercial activities with a profound civic-mindedness.

A 1647 law required the establishment of a grammar school by any …

California Income Taxation Of Trusts And Estates, Richard S. Kinyon, Kim Marois, Sonja K. Johnson

ACTEC Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Coming Ashore - Planning For Year 2017 Offshore Deferred Compensation Arrangements: Using Clats, Ppli And Preferred Partnerships And Consideration Of The Charitable Partial Interest Rules, N. Todd Angkatavanich, Jonathan G. Blattmachr, James R. Brockway

ACTEC Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Protecting Your Clients' Assets From Their Future Ex-Sons And Daughters-In-Law: The Impact Of Evolving Trust Laws On Alimony Awards, Christopher J. Roman

ACTEC Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Life And Death Of John J. Stevens, Esq., As A Member Of The Legal Profession, Max Gutierrez Jr.

ACTEC Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Formalities And Formalism: A Critical Look At The Execution Of Wills, Charles I. Nelson, Jeanne M. Starck

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

How To Accomplish A Successful Tax-Free Pension Plan Rollover, Steven T. Graham

Pepperdine Law Review

Advising a client how to accomplish a tax-free rollover from one pension plan to another has been an area of confusion for the general practitioner. In order to end this confusion the author examines recent statutory amendments, Internal Revenue Service rulings and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. The author then outlines, in conjunction with the recent changes in the law, potential pension plan rollover scenarios that can aid the client. After a thorough discussion of the available rollovers and the benefits and drawbacks of each, the author concludes with a chart designed to provide quick identification of the most …

Oral Will Contracts And The Statute Of Frauds In California, 1896-1980: A Summary And Evaluation , Marc P. Bouret

Pepperdine Law Review

There is no longer any certainty that one can successfully argue that purely oral mutual promises to bequeath property are unenforceable due to the Statute of Frauds. The author traces the trends in the oral will contract area during the past eighty years. He then analyzes various exceptions to the Statute of Frauds which have developed to allow oral will contracts to be enforced during the lifetime of the promisor, or more frequently after his or her death.

Illegitimate Harm: Law, Stigma, And Discrimination Against Nonmarital Children, Solangel Maldonado

Florida Law Review

No one would dispute that for most of U.S. history, nonmarital children suffered significant legal and societal discrimination. Although many individuals believe that the legal disadvantages attached to “illegitimate” status have disappeared in the last forty years, this Article demonstrates that the law continues to discriminate against nonmarital children in a number of areas, including intestate succession, citizenship, and child support. Societal biases against nonmarital children also remain. A majority of Americans believe that the increase in nonmarital births is a significant societal problem and almost 50% believe that unmarried women should not have children. Some courts are aware of …