Tax Implications: Selling Your Home
Estate Tax Minimization by Kira S. Masteller 818.907.3244 If you’ve lived at a property for at least two out of the five years before you sell your home, you can consider that property your primary
Inherited IRAs Not Exempt From Bankruptcy Proceedings
Trusts & Estate Planning Attorney by Kira S. Masteller 818.907.3244 Individual Retirement Accounts or IRAs, are retirement funds – at least until you pass the asset on to heirs other than your spouse. Then, according
What’s the Difference Between a Trust and a Will?
Kira S. Masteller of our Trusts & Estate Planning Practice Group explains who should be incorporating a trust into their estate planning, and who can use a will.
Civil Rights Act: Lessons from Politics and History
(Book Review: An Idea Whose Time Has Come, by Todd S. Purdum) Valley Lawyer, a publication of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association by Kira S. Masteller – June 2014
Retirement Planning for Same-Sex Married Couples
Trusts & Estate Planning Attorney by Kira S. Masteller 818.907.3244 In September, the Internal Revenue Service issued Revenue Ruling 2013-17 which clarified when, for federal tax purposes, the IRS will recognize same-sex marriages. As of
Understanding Conflicts of Interest in Estate Planning
Valley Lawyer, a publication of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association by Kira S. Masteller – September 2013
Maximizing Annual Gifts
Trusts & Estate Planning Attorney by Kira S. Masteller 818.907.3244 Individuals with estates that are valued over the Federal estate tax exemption ($5,250,000 in 2013) should consider making annual gifts to their family now so
How Does the DOMA Ruling Affect Estate Planning?
Trusts & Estate Planning Attorney by Kira S. Masteller 818.907.3244 The United States Supreme Court’s ruling on Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on June 26, declaring the definition of marriage as
Post-DOMA for Employers
With the dust just settling on Wednesday’s ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, and Proposition 8 federal court opinions, now is the time for employers to consider the potential impact on their
Designated Beneficiary Assets: Consider Your Income, Capital Gains & Estate Taxes
Trusts & Estate Planning Attorney by Kira S. Masteller 818.907.3244 In the third segment of our series regarding Gift Tax & Estate Planning, we’ll examine assets that require designated beneficiaries, specifically: IRA accounts, retirement accounts, life