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I was recently interviewed regarding fundamental estate planning needs and the appropriate tools to accomplish your objectives. Below is the link to the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPP6wiPj6H0

Last month, John Dedon received two important and continuing recognitions as a Top Attorney in the financial planning and estate planning areas of law. Northern Virginia Magazine named John a Top Lawyer in the financial area of law. Top Lawyers by Northern Virginia Magazine is an annual peer-reviewed list based on surveys of other lawyers’… Read »

We are pleased to announce the 2020 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America© has named Sunny Cameron, Tim McEvoy and John Dedon as Best Lawyers. Best Lawyers has published their list for over three decades, earning the respect of the profession, the media, and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal… Read »

I have previously written about the $15,000 annual exclusion, and Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (“ILIT’S”). ILIT’S are created primarily to own life insurance and remove the death benefit from the insured’s taxable estate. To achieve the desired estate tax benefit, premiums must be paid by the Trustee on behalf of the ILIT as the policy… Read »

Irrevocable Trusts, “ILIT” – short for Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust – are created to own life insurance policies. The significant advantage of having insurance policies owned inside an ILIT is that the death proceeds are not included in the insured’s taxable estate upon his death. Further, the death proceeds are not taxable in the surviving… Read »

When individuals consider how assets pass upon death, they immediately think of Wills (and perhaps Revocable Trusts for probate avoidance). What often is not considered, and even misunderstood, is that even if individuals have executed valid Wills, their wishes may not be respected. Why – because those estate documents will not generally supersede asset titling… Read »

The annual exclusion gift amount remains at $15,000 for 2019. The annual exclusion gift is the amount that you can give to any recipient during the calendar year without gift tax consequence. For example, in 2019, if husband and wife have two children, they each can give $15,000 to each child, total of $60,000. Upon… Read »

Estate planning involves more than avoiding probate and estate taxes. Probate can be avoided by using Revocable Living Trusts. Estate taxes are not a concern for most U.S. taxpayers with the gift and estate tax exemption now at $11.4 million per person. Because of “portability,” a husband and wife can either gift or pass upon… Read »

The 2019 inflation adjusted amount for the federal gift and estate tax exemption is now $11.4 million per person. Because of “portability,” a husband and wife can either gift or pass upon death $22.8 without paying any gift or estate tax, regardless of how assets are titled among spouses. The $11.4 amount increased from the… Read »