On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 was signed into law by President Trump. This new law has a number of implications for estate plans, but the most notable is the doubling of the Gift and Generation Skipping Transfer Tax (“GST”) Exemptions. Effective on January 1, 2018, the new law […]
Transfer on Death Deeds in Indiana
In 2009, Indiana passed the Transfer on Death Property Act, which gave Indiana real property owners the ability to designate (but not complete) the transfer of real property to a beneficiary upon the owner’s death without the need for the probate process. The owner retains absolute control of the property during his or her lifetime. […]
Our Virtual Law Office
Sometimes, you just need an Indiana legal form, without a lawyer’s help. IndianaVirtualLaw is the website name for the virtual law offices of Griffith Law Group LLC, an Indiana law firm. Through our Virtual Law Office, our law firm provides cost-effective and efficient, limited legal services pertaining to Indiana, Immigration, and federal Trademark Law. Limited […]
Supervised vs. Unsupervised Probate Administration
First, note that the probate process can apply whether or not the deceased left a will. (Dying without a will is known as “intestacy.) Probate is the process by which debts are paid and assets are divided after a person passes away. Generally, we think of the big board room where everyone intended to receive […]
Estate Planning Basics: Wills & Trusts
It is not uncommon for the attorneys at GRIFFITH LAW GROUP LLC to review an estate plan built by the client or an uninformed attorney using the wrong tools for that particular client. People are increasingly turning to pre-printed wills and trusts, or using self-service legal document websites to create estate plans. Unfortunately, those well-intended […]
Indiana Repeals Inheritance Tax Law
In May 2013, Governor Pence signed legislation that effectively repealed Indiana’s inheritance tax for the estates of individuals who pass away in 2013 and beyond. The repeal eliminates a complex form of estate planning, and provides a huge relief to Hoosier families grieving the loss of a loved one. What if someone passed away […]
Should Married Couples Own Property In a Trust
Trust-based planning became very popular in the 1980’s and 1990’s as estate planners- some being lawyers, some being insurance agents and some without any license at all- advertised trusts as the preferred way to plan an estate in order to avoid costly and frustrating probate court proceedings. You might have attended one of the 1,000’s […]
Do I Need a Living Will
What is a Living Will? A living will is a legal document that allows you to express your wishes to doctors, should you become physically or mentally incapacitated. It is the oldest form of an advance directive. A living will should not be confused with aliving trust—we will discuss living trusts in a later article. Living wills typically […]
Who Will Care for Your Children
It is no fun at all to contemplate your own death, but there is even less fun in considering who might care for your minor children should you pass on early. The reality is that anyone with young children should have a Last Will & Testament and that Will should contain provisions to appoint a […]
Living Trusts vs. Testamentary Trusts
Many of us have heard of a trust and have a general idea of how they work. This article is intended to give you an idea of how trusts can be used as estate planning tools. If you are unfamiliar with what a trust is, you may want to read this article first. A quick […]