Tag Archives: spouse

Estate Planning

QTIP Trusts

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In today’s world of “blended families,” estate planning has gotten more complex. If you have had more than one marriage with children from the prior marriage(s), you are likely concerned with ensuring that your biological children will inherit from you. It is a valid concern because you might be surprised at how often a surviving spouse inherits everything and shares nothing with the decedent’s children.

There are specific ways your estate planner can prevent this scenario from happening to your family. One commonly used safeguard is referred to as a “QTIP trust,” which stands for “qualified terminable interest property” trust. One of the primary advantages of a QTIP trust is it provides you the ability to provide for your surviving spouse and, after his or her death, your beneficiaries as designated by you in your trust.

A QTIP trust is typically funded through the creator’s Will. As a result, the trust will only be funded upon your death. When you die, your surviving spouse will receive the income from the trust for the remainder of his or her life. When the surviving spouse dies, the remaining trust assets will pass to your children or other loved ones specifically designated by you.

The QTIP trust may also assist with deferring estate taxation. Because your property is initially transferred to your surviving spouse, the estate tax marital deduction is applied and postpones the payment of any estate taxes until your children or other beneficiaries receive the remainder of the trust.

If you are interested in learning more about a QTIP trust or you have any other estate planning questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. The Astill Law Office has provided high quality legal services for over 30 years. We specialize in wills, trusts, estate planning, and asset protection. If you have any questions about creating a Trust, Will, or estate planning in general, contact The Astill Law Office at 801-438-8698.

 

 

Asset Protection, Estate Planning

Credit Shelter Trusts – Not Only for the Wealthy!

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If you are interested in taking advantage of state and federal estate tax exemptions, a credit shelter trust may be a good option to consider. Most people associate this type of trust with millionaires, but there are several reasons to use this type of estate planning even if you have more modest means.

In 2015, the initial $5.43 million in an estate is exempt from federal taxes. This amount increases to $10.86 million for a husband and wife’s joint estate. Additionally, the estate tax is “portable” between spouses, so if the first spouse to die does not use all of his or her $5.43 million exemption, the estate of the survivor spouse can use it. However, it requires a significant amount of proper planning in order for the exemption of the first spouse to die to be effectively used. A credit shelter trust (also referred to as an A/B or bypass trust) is a tool for preserving both spouses’ exemptions. This is especially important in case the surviving spouse remarries. This could cause the loss of the previous’ spouse unused credit.

Many states have an estate or inheritance tax with thresholds that are often much lower than the current federal one. As a result, while it may not make sense to establish a credit shelter trust for federal tax purposes, it may be wise to do so for state tax purposes. For example, if a state inheritance tax applies to estates in excess of $1 million, when the first spouse dies and passes everything to the surviving spouse, the remaining estate could easily exceed the state’s $1 million threshold, leaving it subject to a substantial state inheritance tax. Gratefully, Utah does not have such a tax; but can you guarantee that you will live in Utah at your death? That presents a dilemma that we all face. Life changes and we can’t always predict what those changes will be.

By creating a credit shelter trust, the estate that exceeds the applicable state or federal exemption amount is split between the spouses for each to create a trust to “shelter” the first exemption amount in the estate of the first spouse to die. The terms of the trust typically provide for the trust income to be paid to the surviving spouse and the trust principal to be available to the surviving spouse as determined by the trustee’s discretion. If properly drafted, the credit shelter trust assets will not be considered part of the surviving spouse’ estate at their subsequent death and therefore not subject to estate or inheritance taxation. In short, the couple in our example can safeguard up to $2 million from estate tax while also making the entire estate accessible to the surviving spouse if necessary.

Even better, a credit shelter trust is also protected from creditors of the surviving spouse. Thus, if the surviving spouse becomes liable to creditors for any reason, i.e., medical expenses, personal injury, bankruptcy, divorce after remarriage, or otherwise, those assets in the credit shelter trust are protected from creditors. Sometimes that reason alone is enough to encourage clients to use credit shelter trusts.

If you are considering creating a credit shelter trust, it is important to seek the help of a qualified attorney. The Astill Law Office has provided high quality legal services for over 30 years. We specialize in wills, trusts, estate planning, and asset protection. If you have any questions about creating a Trust, Will, or estate planning in general, contact The Astill Law Office at 801-438-8698.

Estate Planning

End of Life Marriages

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We’ve all heard the story where a much younger individual marries a much older person and inherits millions when he or she dies. If you have an elderly loved one that got married in his or her final years, you probably have questions regarding the new spouse’s ability to inherit. No two cases are the same, so if you have suspicions regarding the validity of the marriage and/or the revised estate planning documents, it is important to confer with an estate planning attorney regarding your legal options.

If you were a named beneficiary of your loved one’s estate plan prior to the marriage, your main tool for recourse is to object to the newly drafted Will and/or Trust that names the new spouse as the sole beneficiary. Some of the most common objections include lack of capacity, undue influence or mistake. You may also want to submit evidence that the marriage was a sham. For example, if your loved one was incapacitated, you may be able to have the marriage voided.

It is important to understand that objecting to an estate plan or attempting to set aside a marriage is not an easy task. Thus, you should obtain the advice and assistance of a skilled attorney.

It should be noted that if you have concerns regarding an elderly family member being taken advantage of by another party, you can avoid many of the problems by obtaining a power of attorney and establishing a trust for the person. These types of documents can help you avoid litigation and protect the individual, saving you a considerable amount of time and money. It will also allow you to protect your loved senior citizen from being taken advantage of later in life.

The Astill Law Office has provided high quality legal services for over 30 years. We specialize in wills, trusts, estate planning, and asset protection. If you have any questions about creating a Trust, Will, or estate planning in general, contact The Astill Law Office at 801-438-8698.

Asset Protection, Estate Planning

Credit Shelter Trusts

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Many people are surprised to learn that there are a variety of different types of trusts that can be used in estate planning. One type of trust is called the “Credit Shelter Trust,” which is also sometimes referred to as a bypass or family trust. This type of trust permits two parties (typically spouses) to divide their assets between two trusts.

For 2015, the first $5.43 million of an estate is exempt from federal estate taxes. With a Credit Shelter Trust, a married couple could potentially have no estate tax with an estate that is less than $10.86 million. This could potentially double that portion of your children’s inheritance by avoiding estate taxes. Additionally, once assets are put into a Credit Shelter Trust, they are free from estate tax. This is true even if the value of the assets increase. Therefore, if the surviving spouse invests the trust assets wisely and doesn’t need the assets for support, your children’s inheritance can continue to grow, free of any estate tax. As we often tell clients (just to make a point), the Credit Shelter Trust could grow to a BILLION DOLLARS and no estate tax will be paid when they receive their inheritance.

The Credit Shelter Trust also protects your children in the event the surviving spouse remarries. Typically the trust will contain provisions that prohibit its use for anyone except your spouse and your children or grandchildren.

There is another advantage that most people fail to consider. When a Credit Shelter Trust is created, it protects the assets of the trust from the creditors of a surviving spouse. In other words, no matter what happens to the surviving spouse, the nest egg represented by the amount set aside in the Credit Shelter Trust is protected from claims for the life of the surviving spouse.

Typically, when the first spouse dies, the surviving spouse is left a certain amount in trust for their benefit (not to exceed the current federal estate-tax exemption). The remainder of the estate passes to the surviving spouse tax-free through a marital trust or outright bequest (with any remainder to pass to your children upon the death of the surviving spouse). The Internal Revenue Code does not consider the assets in the Credit Shelter Trust as included in the surviving spouse’s estate for the purpose of calculating estate taxes. The theory is that the surviving spouse did not have full ownership of the assets held by the Credit Shelter Trust. The beauty is that they have the benefits and use of the Credit Shelter Trust, but it is asset protected and protected from the estate tax.

It should also be mentioned that the estate tax is portable between the spouses. In other words, if the first spouse to die does not use all of his or her $5.43 million exemption, the surviving spouse’s estate can take advantage of it. The surviving spouse must make this election on the first spouse’s estate tax return.

In short, the Credit Shelter Trust is beneficial if you want to protect your surviving spouse financially. This type of trust provides your spouse with a source of income if needed, while also protecting him or her from creditors, and protecting your children from loss of inheritance. It’s an excellent planning tool.

To learn more about how a trust can benefit your family, call us today. The Astill Law Office has provided high quality legal services for over 30 years. We specialize in wills, trusts, estate planning, and asset protection. If you have any questions about creating a Trust, Will, or estate planning in general, contact The Astill Law Office at 801-438-8698.

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Who Can Serve as an Executor in Utah?

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9017410_sWhen you are creating an estate plan, it is important to choose an individual you trust to serve as the executor, personal representative, or trustee of your estate. This can be one of the most important decisions you make in your estate plan and in protecting your loved ones.

In order to serve as an executor of an estate in Utah, the individual must be 21 years of age or older and fit to serve. The court will decide if a person is fit to serve, but it typically must find that he or she is of sound mind. It must also be established that the individual does not have a conflict of interest with administrating the estate which would inhibit his or her ability to act fairly and impartially.

If nobody has been appointed to serve as the executor and more than one qualified person desires to serve, the court will appoint in the following order:

  • the deceased’s surviving spouse
  • children of the decedent, with equal priority
  • other heirs or named beneficiaries of the decedent
  • a creditor, if no other individual or interested party is appointed with 45 days after the death of the decedent

You should ask yourself if you want to leave it to chance and the discretion of the court and your children or spouse. If you have questions regarding creating a comprehensive estate plan or who to appoint as the executor of your estate, we can help. The Astill Law Office has provided high quality legal services for over 30 years. We specialize in wills, trusts, estate planning, and asset protection. If you have any questions about creating a Trust, Will, or estate planning in general, contact The Astill Law Office at 801-438-8698.

 

 

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What Happens if I Die Without a Will?

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EstateWhen a person dies without a Last Will and Testament, it is called dying “intestate.” Because there is no Will to direct how to distribute your estate, Utah law provides the method of distribution. These laws are referred to as the “laws of intestacy.”

Utah’s laws of intestacy set forth the priority in which your loved ones will inherit from you. If you are married and your spouse is the only surviving heir, your entire estate will go to your spouse. Also, if you are married with children who are all children of the same spouse, your spouse is the sole heir. If you are survived by your spouse and at least one child who is not from your spouse, your spouse will inherit the first $75,000 and half the remaining balance, with half the balance going to your children. In this last scenario, the probate court must add in all other transfers which pass outside the probate action into calculating the inheritances. This includes property held jointly or in a trust.

If you die without leaving a spouse or any children, Utah law defines your next of kin in ranked order as (i) descendants (such as grandchildren), (ii) your parents, (iii) your siblings, (iv) other descendants of your parents, and then (v) other relatives. While it is a comfort to know that your estate is not automatically given to the state if you die intestate, dying without a Will often leads to results you would not have wanted. In order to fully protect those you love, it is important to create a comprehensive and effective estate plan.

Don’t leave your loved ones’ inheritance in jeopardy, contact us today. The Astill Law Office has provided high quality legal services for over 30 years. We specialize in wills, trusts, estate planning, and asset protection. If you have any questions about creating a Trust, Will, or estate planning in general, contact The Astill Law Office at 801-438-8698.