Posted Thursday, June 26, 2014 by John S. Palmer
A ruling is expected any day now in the litigation spawned by changes to the federal estate tax dating back to 2001, when Congress phased out the state death tax credit over 4 years. Decisions are expected from the Washington Supreme Court in a pair of… More >
Posted Monday, June 23, 2014 by John S. Palmer
The US Supreme Court has ruled that inherited IRAs are not an exempt asset in bankruptcy proceedings, thus resolving a split among the lower courts on this issue. The unanimous decision in Clark v. Rameker (decided June 12, 2014) pertains to an IRA Heidi… More >
Posted Friday, June 20, 2014 by John S. Palmer
I was involved in a case recently involving allegations of financial exploitation of an elderly parent by an adult child. This brought into play the provisions of RCW 11.84 automatically disinheriting anyone “who participates, either as a principal or an… More >
Posted Tuesday, June 10, 2014 by John S. Palmer
The Washington estate tax exclusion amount for decedents dying in 2014 is $2,012,000. However, the threshold for filing a tax return remains $2 million. The slight increase in the exclusion amount is due to legislation signed into law last year, amending… More >
Posted Thursday, May 29, 2014 by John S. Palmer
When a disabled child reaches adulthood, it is common for parents to seek appointment as the child’s legal guardian to permit them to continue managing the child’s affairs. When filing such a petition it is my practice to focus on the fact that such an… More >