Question: About 15 years ago, my Dad, my brother and I quitclaimed our share of four properties into a nominee trust in Massachusetts. My sister didn’t put her share into the trust. The four [...]

Question: I’m going to make a gift to my daughter (over the current Federal annual gift tax exclusion amount). Is this considered a direct gift or a direct skip when I report the gift on my [...]

Question: My mother has recently inherited a house in California from her mother, along with a small IRA. She has offered to let us live in the house, with the intention of building an in-law [...]

Question: I am the trustee for mother’s revocable trust containing close to $500,000 in mutual funds, cash and some stocks. There are six equal beneficiaries. Should we liquidate the funds and [...]

Question: My mom lives in an apartment in Escondido, California. She has been on HUD for many years. She is 89 and I want her to move in with me so I can take care of her. I would have to evict a [...]

Question: Our assets are in a revocable living trust. These assets include stock mutual funds, among other assets. When the last of us dies, is there a step-up in cost basis to that date of death [...]

Question: My mom passed away. I’m the trustee of her revocable trust. Should the legal name of the trust and its investment accounts now be “revocable” or [...]

Question: Who is responsible for keeping the bank records of the deceased, the executrix or professional fiduciary? Response: The executrix (also known as the “personal [...]

Question: What is an “estate plan?” Response: Estate planning lawyers use a lot of words that may be confusing to nonlawyers — will, trust, durable power of attorney, health [...]