Complex Estate Planning
Jennifer Lewis is Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate
by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Jennifer assists clients in all aspects of estate planning,
including wills, trusts, family limited partnerships, and investment LLCs.
Estate Tax Planning
Christian Kelso (who holds a
Master of Laws degree in taxation)
provides sophisticated estate planning, including
living trusts, complex trusts, and family limited partnerships,
with an emphasis on planning to minimize the estate tax
for individuals and families.
Farrow-Gillespie Heath Witter LLP
1700 Pacific Avenue
Suite 3700
Dallas, TX 75201
214-361-5600
fax 214-203-0651
Copyright 2022 FGHW. All rights reserved.
The SECURE Act: Will it Affect Your Retirement Plan?
in Asset & Investment Protection, Estate Planning/by Christian S. KelsoA Late 2019 tax change will have a major impact on retirement planning! On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019, better known as the “SECURE Act.” Although it passed the House in July, the SECURE Act only recently passed through the Senate on December […]
Trust Accountings and the Duty to Inform in Texas
in Asset & Investment Protection/by Christian S. KelsoTrustees have a duty to share trust information with beneficiaries. The nature and extent of the duty to inform is not well defined in the Texas Trust Code, however, and there is little case law on point. There is slightly more guidance with regard to the duty to account, which is a subpart of the […]
Do You Need a Revocable Trust?
in Estate Planning/by Amanda BrennerNot everyone knows what a revocable trust is or whether they need one. This article discusses the general characteristics of a revocable trust, some of the benefits a revocable trust offers, and other considerations that are relevant to this estate planning vehicle. What is a Revocable Trust? A trust is a relationship between three people: […]
Legal Documents for Your College Checklist
in Estate Planning/by Amanda BrennerWhile shopping for extra-long twin sheets and plush mattress pads for your soon-to-be college freshman, consider adding these items to your checklist: Financial Power of Attorney (POA) Medical Power of Attorney (MPOA) Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) Authorization You are probably wondering why your barely-an-adult child needs these documents. Most high school grads […]
Those Pesky Trusts! A Brief Primer on Terminating Unwanted Trusts
in Estate Planning/by Spencer TurnerEstate planning attorneys often wax poetic about the multitude of advantages found in a simple trust instrument. They’re not wrong. A well-crafted trust is an excellent vehicle for addressing a client’s concerns under a variety of different circumstances. Clients may place assets in a trust for tax benefits, creditor and divorce protection, planning for incapacity, […]
The Effects of Divorce on Wills and Estate Plans in Texas
in Estate Planning/by Elaine PriceHere is a guide to the legal effects of divorce on Wills, Trust instruments, and financial accounts in Texas. Wills and Divorce in Texas. When a person’s marriage is dissolved by divorce, the former spouse cannot receive any payments, benefits or inherit property from that person’s will unless it expressly states otherwise. Not only is […]
Upjohn Clause: A Trap for the Unwary Trustee
in Estate Planning/by Christian S. KelsoMany trust instruments prohibit trustees from relieving themselves of a legal duty under applicable law. Such language, which is sometimes referred to as an “Upjohn” clause after the case of Upjohn v. U.S. (30 A.F.T.R. 2d. 72-5918 (W.D. Mich 1972)), is most often, intended to prohibit a trustee from using trust assets to pay for […]
Luxury Property Special Purpose Entities
in Asset & Investment Protection/by Christian S. KelsoPortions of this article were originally printed in Dallas Bar Association Headnotes, December 2017. When it comes to luxury property, such as beach houses, lake houses, ski condos, hunting leases, aircraft, watercraft, limousines, and the like, two rules almost always apply: First, they are expensive to own and operate. Second, they tend to sit dormant […]
Capacity to sign
in Estate Planning/by Christian S. KelsoDifferent legal actions require different levels of mental capacity to be valid. For example, the level of mental capacity required to sign a will, referred to as “testamentary capacity,” is lower than the level of capacity required to sign a contract, called “contractual capacity.” The various standards are discussed below. Capacity to Sign a Will […]
FBAR deadline is April 18
in Asset & Investment Protection, Estate Planning/by Liza Farrow-GillespieThe annual due date for filing Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) for foreign financial accounts has been changed from June 30 of each year to April 15. This date change was mandated by the Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015, Public Law 114-41 (the Act). Section 2006(b)(11) of […]