John Martin

Three Ways to Ensure your Minor Children can Inherit without Costly Guardianship Proceedings

While it's not a pleasant subject, sometimes parents pass away while their children are still under the age of 18. What happens then? By law, children under the age of 18 who receive anything more than modest amounts of money from their deceased parents' estate cannot manage the property on their own. Instead, the law provides for court-appointed guardianship... (posted by John 2 years 13 days ago.)

Estate Planning for Pets and Domesticated Animals

Companionship animals play an important role in the lives of humans. Cats keep us company on the couch. Dogs play Frisbee with us at the park. Pets can even prolong a person's life, lowering the risk of heart attack and rates of depression. Despite these beneficial effects in the lives of humans, more than 500,000 pets are euthanized in animal shelters throughout the United States annually because of the... (posted by John 2 years 250 days ago.)

Estate Planning for International Clients: Three Traps for the Unwary

International clients living in the United States face a number of Estate Planning challenges. For the unwary, a lack of planning can lead to disaster. Imagine, for instance, the shock of a British citizen working at a Silicon Valley startup when he learns that only $60,000 of his estate will be shielded from estate tax. In this article, the author discusses three traps for the... (posted by John 2 years 281 days ago.)