Author Archives: Jay Butchko
The Annual Gift Tax Exclusion Is The Gift That Keeps On Giving
In the lead up to the holidays, children are occupied with thoughts of gifts that they want to find under the Christmas tree. They will work the subject into every conversation, describing their gifts in great detail, no matter how implausible it is that they will receive them. Perhaps your grandson wants a pickaxe… Read More »
Is Florida A Tax-Free Paradise For Retirees?
There are plenty of things to fear in Florida. The Sunshine State has the largest alligator population in the U.S. It is also home to our nation’s only native population of crocodiles; the range of the American crocodile extends to the southernmost parts of Florida. Even if you are prudent enough to avoid crocodilians… Read More »
What Do Disgruntled Medieval Knights Have To Do With Your Estate Plan?
If you doubt that law school is the obvious destination for history majors, consider how many legal principles have an obvious, or untold, historical background. It is more than just the abundance of Latin terms. Judges still write about “tipsy coachman” arguments, even though it has been over a century since a coachman drove… Read More »
An Asset Protection Trust Is Like A Cloak Of Invisibility For Your House
A house that stays in the same family for generations is not just a source of financial stability; it is also a focus of family togetherness. What could be a better place to spend the holidays than the house where one of your grandparents was born, and where your family continues to gather long… Read More »
Calling All Geriatric Millennials! It’s Time To Lock In And Revise Your Estate Plan
If you were born in the 1980s, you are not alone in feeling that young people are unfairly judging you. Generation Z is just jealous of us because we look ageless in our skinny jeans and our ankle socks. Everyone knows that’s not the real reason they are jealous of us. It is because… Read More »
Pets And Your Estate Plan
The motivation to start on your estate plan often begins with a terrible fear that strikes you in the middle of the night. It begins, “If I died tomorrow, what would happen to” and then ends with the names of the people and things you care about the most. What would happen to your… Read More »
How To Manage Without Long-Term Care Insurance
Some people are so rich that, when the time comes, they can spend years living in a posh assisted living facility, even those garishly luxurious ones that the media fancifully call “Boomer enrichment centers,” and when it is all over, there will be plenty of money and at least one house for their heirs… Read More »
Your Estate Plan Can Keep the Peace In Your Blended Family
If someone seems to have a more harmonious family than yours, you are probably not seeing the whole picture. While some people have built the skill of managing conflict with their family members, many more have learned instead to put on a façade of perfection. Blended families present an additional challenge to family harmony…. Read More »
Coping With The Thankless Job Of Being The Personal Representative Of A Deceased Person’s Estate
Until you have to do it, being the personal representative of a deceased family member’s estate sounds like an honor. It gives you a chance to make peace with the loss of a close family member, and even though you would never admit this in front of the other beneficiaries of the will, it… Read More »
How To Choose The Most Suitable Lawyer To Manage Your Estate Plan
The hardest part of estate planning is getting started. If you have done a Google search for “how to estate plan” or for “estate planning lawyer Tampa,” then you have already gotten past the biggest hurdle. Even if your search did not include the word “lawyer” or “attorney,” your search results probably include law… Read More »
