Now May be the Time to Forgive Intrafamily Loans BY THEUS LAW OFFICES If you have outstanding loans to your children, grandchildren or other family members, consider forgiving those loans to take advantage of the current, record-high $11.58 million gift and estate tax exemption. Bear in mind that in 2026, the exemption amount will revert to [...]Continue reading

Drafting your Will using Online Tools can Lead to Unwanted Outcomes BY THEUS LAW OFFICES The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has refocused people’s thoughts on the health and safety of their families. In addition to taking the necessary steps today to protect your loved ones, it’s equally important to consider their financial security in the future. [...]Continue reading

Build Flexibility into Your Estate Plan with Powers of Appointment BY THEUS LAW OFFICES There are several tools you can use to build flexibility into your estate plan. Flexibility is especially important now because of an uncertain estate planning environment. The federal gift and estate tax exemption currently is an inflation-adjusted $11.58 million (the highest it’s ever [...]Continue reading

Estate Planning when Time is Short BY THEUS LAW OFFICES The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused some people to contemplate their own mortality or that of a family member. For those whose life expectancies are short — because of COVID-19 or for other reasons — estate planning can be difficult. But while money matters may [...]Continue reading

A GOOD WALK SPOILED (LLC Charging Order Protection Affirmed by 4th Circuit) BY THEUS LAW OFFICES (Channelside Services, LLC v. Chrysochos Group, Inc. (La. App. 4 Cir., May 13, 2016)) “The Louisiana LLC Act affords LLCs different and greater protections …compared to Louisiana laws pertaining to creditors of corporate shareholders or partners in a partnership.”   [...]Continue reading

Is a self-directed IRA right for you? BY THEUS LAW OFFICES Traditional and Roth IRAs can be powerful estate planning tools. With a “self-directed” IRA, you may be able to amp up the benefits of these tools by enabling them to hold nontraditional investments that offer potentially greater returns. However, self-directed IRAs present pitfalls that can [...]Continue reading

You have options when addressing life insurance in your estate plan BY THEUS LAW OFFICES Life insurance has long provided a source of liquidity to pay estate taxes and other expenses. But, with the estate tax exemption currently set at an inflation-adjusted $10 million ($11.40 million for 2019), estate taxes are no longer a concern for many families. [...]Continue reading

Louisiana is the only state in the United States which has the concept of forced heirship. What Is Forced Heirship? Forced heirship is an ancient civilian concept derived from Roman law. The law of forced heirship provides that certain family members cannot be disinherited.  The law, as originally enacted, provided that any child of a [...]Continue reading