by Cynthia M. Lifson | Oct 23, 2017 | Notes from the Desk of Cynthia Lifson
Estate Planning for the High Tech World In our technology-driven environment, many of us have created “digital assets.” Digital assets include many types of things such as music, videos, medical records, financial statements, or photographs. These items may be stored on a computer hard drive, online, or in the “cloud.” Digital assets may also include accounts on social media websites, e-mail accounts, or merchant websites including credit card companies that offer rewards in the form of points that can be applied to purchase certain goods and services. The world of digital assets can become complicated if the owner of the assets is either deceased or lacks capacity to access to these assets. It is not unheard of, for example, to receive a notice on a LinkedIn list of a person’s work anniversary years after the person has died. This is obviously an unsettling event. What can or cannot be done in these types of situations? Digital assets are governed primarily by terms of service agreements between the owner of digital assets and the provider of services related to digital assets. Most of us have had experience simply clicking the “agree” button with a provider of digital assets, but equally, most of us do not read the extensive and complex terms of service agreement. It cannot be assumed that what is included, for example, in a terms of service agreement for Southwest Airlines is the same for Delta Airlines. Awareness of the contents of the term of service agreement for each digital asset in a portfolio will be informative about how to access a digital asset. Both federal and state...
by Cynthia M. Lifson | Aug 30, 2017 | Notes from the Desk of Cynthia Lifson
TYING UP LOOSE ENDS After the dissolution of a marriage, the last thing most people want to do is think about estate planning. With all the ups and downs associated with separation and divorce, it certainly is not a fun thing to plan for the distribution of property after one’s death. And yet, viewed from a different perspective, this fundamental life changing event can be a particularly good time to reflect on what is important to each of us and how we would like to be remembered by those who follow us. With some thoughtful preparation, recently divorced people can use the immediate post-divorce period to draft some basic estate planning documents consistent with their new legal status. The severing of the legal relationship between spouses has a major impact on estate planning. In Maryland, following a final divorce, the provisions made by the writer of a will regarding his or her former spouse are revoked by operation of law, unless there are alternative provisions in his or her will or there is language in the final divorce order to the contrary. While this affords us some measure of protection, as one might expect, relying solely on the legal default mechanism contained in the Estates and Trusts Article of the Maryland Code is likely not sufficient. Single people with minor children may have special concerns about the management of funds on behalf of their minor children. And as a general matter, because property is not exclusively passed through a will, it is essential to pay careful attention to titling of assets and forms designating beneficiaries for certain property such...
by Cynthia M. Lifson | Aug 30, 2017 | Notes from the Desk of Cynthia Lifson
In thinking about those who are to receive our possessions after we pass from this earth, many of us weigh and balance this decision carefully. For example, it is not uncommon during the estate planning process for people to create extensive lists of their tangible personal property – including jewelry, tools, art, furniture, and other important items – and designate specific items to many different individuals. It is also not uncommon to name various individuals or charities to receive sums of money specified in a will. While deciding how to distribute our property is a key decision in preparing a will, it is equally important to think through the choice of a personal representative. A personal representative, who may also be called an executor, is the individual who is responsible for paying the final bills and taxes of the decedent, distributing the property of the decedent in accordance with his or her wishes, and generally interfacing with appropriate governmental agencies to ensure that all the business affairs of the decedent are conducted appropriately. It is important to remember that a personal representative is a type of fiduciary. When acting as a fiduciary a special relationship is established. One party places trust, confidence, and reliance in another. A fiduciary has a duty to act for the benefit of the party who nominated or appointed him or her. In the context of estate planning, at its most basic, a personal representative must be able to account for every dollar that flows into the estate and every dollar that flows out of the estate. The goal of the personal representative is to...
by Cynthia M. Lifson | Jun 10, 2017 | Notes from the Desk of Cynthia Lifson
No matter how long spouses have lived apart, no matter what the financial arrangement between spouses is, and no matter if spouses interact with one another or lead completely separate lives, a married couple cannot be legally divorced without an order from a court. At a minimum, to obtain a legal divorce, one spouse must initiate a divorce action by filing a complaint in court alleging specific facts to meet certain statutory requirements and must subsequently prove his or her case before a judicial official. While a legal divorce requires certain action by the court, the manner in which divorce litigation proceeds is greatly influenced by the behavior of the parties. Most people seek an “amicable” divorce, but the legal way of framing this procedure is either as a “contested” or an “uncontested” divorce. Interestingly, the overwhelming majority of family law cases settle before a judge has to make a decision. In cases with protracted litigation, a judge’s decision may be the only way a case can resolve. With this in mind, it is important to understand how the “emotional divorce” and the “financial divorce” affect the “legal divorce.” The likelihood of a procedurally simple legal divorce is greatly enhanced if parties make the effort to work through emotional and financial issues ahead of a formal filing with the court. In particular, a comprehensive and clearly written marital settlement agreement that is reached by the parties can serve as a map to remind the parties of their obligations to one another and to their children. While it may be confusing to enter the realm of contracts and courts, depending...
by Cynthia M. Lifson | Jun 8, 2017 | Notes from Annapolis
While it is true that government is not always the easiest entity to deal with, this year in Annapolis, the General Assembly passed HB 492, a bill that modifies Maryland’s Transportation Article. This new legislation should make tending to estate planning a little bit easier. Beginning October 1, 2017, a sole owner of a motor vehicle may designate a beneficiary of the motor vehicle to a specified beneficiary by noting the beneficiary on the title of the motor vehicle. This designation of a beneficiary may be shown by the words “transfer-on-death” or the abbreviation TOD. On the death of the owner of the motor vehicle, the ownership of the motor vehicle passes to the beneficiary if the beneficiary survives the owner. Such a motor vehicle passes outside of the decedent’s probate estate. Of course, if the designated beneficiary does not survive the death of the owner, then the motor vehicle is part of the estate of the deceased owner and will be subject to a probate action. This new legislation also calls for the adoption of regulations to implement the purpose of the bill. We can expect to see new forms – likely available on-line – to assist the owner of a motor vehicle in the process of directly designating a beneficiary. Many people already know to whom they wish to give their tangible personal property after they pass on, including their vehicles. Procedurally, this new law will give owners of motor vehicles a new option to dispose of an important asset. We can thank the General Assembly this year for this initiative, and most especially the chief sponsor...
