Attorneys And Counsellors At Law
If you’re planning on buying a home that you wish to one day pass on to your adult children, a joint purchase can reduce estate tax liability, provided the children have sufficient funds to finance their portion of the purchase. With the gift and estate tax exemption now set at […] Read more »
Jane hugged her two children for what turned out to be the last time. Her husband, John, was distraught and started drinking — again — to handle the stress as her illness progressed. Jane’s parents were in the room, too, and had grown increasingly concerned about what would happen to […] Read more »
Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Richard E. Gardiner sided with a clinical psychologist who wanted to withhold a patient’s mental health records. As Virginia Lawyers Weekly reports, SmolenPlevy represented the clinical psychologist, Dr. Jeffrey A. Schulman, in the matter. The records were sought by a father involved in a long-running […] Read more »
Once again, SmolenPlevy is ranked by U.S. News & World Report in the 2020 edition of “Best Law Firms.” SmolenPlevy is recognized for: Business organizations Family law Trusts and estates Family law mediation Tax law This is the sixth straight year SmolenPlevy is honored with this achievement. The “Best Law […] Read more »
Federal estate tax liability is no longer an issue for many families, now that the gift and estate tax exemption stands at $11.4 million for 2019. But there are still affluent individuals whose estates may be subject to hefty estate tax bills. If you expect your estate to have significant […] Read more »
By Alan Plevy It’s back-to-school season, and for divorced or separated parents, the question is: Who is paying for the expensive TI-84 calculator or laptop their child needs for class? Alan Plevy was featured on WUSA9’s Great Day Washington discussing how divorced parents share back-to-school expenses. Child support doesn’t necessarily […] Read more »
It’s a clean sweep – Principals Jason Smolen, Alan Plevy, Daniel Ruttenberg and Kyung (Kathryn) Dickerson all received the honor of being named Best Lawyers® for 2020. Smolen is also honored as a 2020 Business Organizations Lawyer of the Year. They are recognized by their peers for their professional excellence […] Read more »
What’s their major? Who’s their roommate? Dorm room or fraternity house? These are all questions on the minds of parents who are sending their children off to college this fall. But if you are divorced — or thinking about getting a divorce — one of the most pressing questions you’ll […] Read more »
No matter how much effort you’ve invested in designing your estate plan, your will, trusts and other official documents may not be enough. Consider creating a “road map” — an informal letter or other document that guides your family in understanding and executing your plan and ensuring that your wishes […] Read more »
A healthy Shih Tzu dog is euthanized to fulfill its late owner’s will. Now the question on everyone’s mind is – is it legal for a pet owner to determine their pet should be put to bed because they won’t be around to care for them? Principal Jason Smolen is […] Read more »
Published May 10, 2019 by Scott W. Taylor If you’re an owner who is selling your business, but have never sold a business before, you may have some questions about what professional advisors you need on your team. For any successful business sale transaction, you need a Mergers & Acquisitions […] Read more »
Legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld’s beloved cat Choupette will reportedly inherit millions, leaving the cat to happily continue its luxurious lifestyle. While we all may not have a fortune to leave behind, Lagerfeld’s death shows it’s more than just fashionable to include your pet in your estate plans. Financial Advisor Magazine turns to Principal Jason Smolen on how to make sure your pet is cared for after you’re gone. Read more »
Nearly everyone owns some digital assets, like online bank and brokerage accounts, bill-paying services, cloud-based document storage, digital music collections, social media accounts, and domain names. What happens to these assets when you die or if you become incapacitated? Will someone even know the accounts exist? Jason Smolen and Dan Ruttenberg say the answer depends on several factors, including the terms of your service agreements with the custodians of digital assets, applicable laws and the terms of your estate plan. To reduce uncertainty, you should include digital assets in your estate planning. Read more »
Attention Charitable Donors. It is now harder to deduct your charitable donations. While a tax deduction isn’t the only reason many give to charity, you should still try to get the most benefit out of your charitable contributions. Read more »
Time to put aside your preconceived notions about millennials. It’s hard to believe, but some in the generation are starting to close in on their 40s. Born between 1980 and the mid-1990s, they have growing families, assets, bills and pets, just like other generations before them. And just like those previous age groups did when approaching life’s milestones, millennials need to start estate planning. “It’s no less important for this generation than for their parents,” say estate-planning attorneys Jason Smolen and Dan Ruttenberg of SmolenPlevy. Read more »
