Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen

October 29, 2020 | The Legal Intelligencer

It's that time of year again—pumpkins, hayrides and year-end tax planning. With the upcoming election, which, depending on the results, brings the possibility of a reduction in the federal estate and gift tax exemption, we are anticipating a particularly busy year-end.

By Amy Neifeld Shkedy and Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen

8 minute read

September 03, 2020 | The Legal Intelligencer

It is widely recognized that as a technical matter, if there is the political will to do so, the exemption could be reduced in 2021, after a new president might be sworn in, effective as of Jan. 1, 2021.

By Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen and Amy Neifeld Shkedy

6 minute read

June 29, 2020 | The Legal Intelligencer

Our typical approach is to design trusts to last for a beneficiary's lifetime (as opposed to terminating upon a selected age at which it is hoped financial maturity would have been attained), while permitting discretionary distributions to a beneficiary to the extent that a beneficiary may need to access the trust funds.

By Amy Neifeld Shkedy and Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen

7 minute read

May 04, 2020 | The Legal Intelligencer

We have seen an uptick in estate planning interest both from new and existing clients, and expect to see more when things get back to "normal."

By Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen and Amy Neifeld Shkedy

4 minute read

March 02, 2020 | The Legal Intelligencer

Deciding what makes sense is best left to a conversation between a client and his lawyer, after understanding the level of wealth, the family dynamics and any special circumstances.

By Amy Neifeld Shkedy and Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen

7 minute read

January 02, 2020 | The Legal Intelligencer

The new provisions of the SECURE Act, which were enacted on Dec. 20, 2019, and become effective as of Jan. 1, 2020, change a key factor that goes into the planning process. The SECURE Act stands for "Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement."

By Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen and Amy Neifeld Shkedy

6 minute read

October 31, 2019 | The Legal Intelligencer

November is a great time to start thinking about year-end tax planning. Getting a head start on planning unquestionably improves your chances of concluding matters by Dec. 31. Here are some options that we suggest you consider before the end of 2019 to enable you to start 2020 in the best wealth planning shape possible.

By Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen and Amy Neifeld Shkedy

7 minute read

September 26, 2019 | The Legal Intelligencer

When we receive requests like these, we start off by explaining the basic estate planning process, including the documents that should be prepared in order to have a complete basic estate plan.

By Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen and Amy Neifeld Shkedy

9 minute read

September 05, 2019 | The Legal Intelligencer

A key part of properly implementing a client's estate plan is to ensure that assets are titled so that they flow in accordance with the client's true wishes at death.

By Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen and Amy Neifeld Shkedy

9 minute read

June 28, 2019 | The Legal Intelligencer

Individuals who have remarried, whether after a divorce or death, tend to have particularly complex personal financial affairs. Therefore, it is crucial…

By Amy Neifeld Shkedy and Rebecca Rosenberger Smolen

8 minute read