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Family offices, much like the families that need them, are works in progress. You can’t just set up a family office ownership structure and think it won’t need some type of attention in the future. A number of factors, including regulatory changes, could compel you to revisit your ownership structure to ensure it still makes sense. See why it may b...

When it comes to effectively transferring assets, the Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRAT) is a popular estate planning strategy that can reduce the tax liability. In this interview, three attorneys discuss the benefits of GRAT and the securities law case, Donoghue v. Smith, involving that strategy.

Trusts are valuable tools frequently used to transfer wealth within families, preserve and protect wealth, and reduce taxes. Understanding trusts and the role of the trustee is important for the people establishing trusts and the beneficiaries of those trusts. Building on this foundation, answers are provided to some questions about trusts and trus...

Generally, parents lose access to their child’s health and financial information once the child becomes a legal adult at the age of 18 unless certain steps are taken. To this end, here is a list of seven essential legal documents for parents to complete when their children turn 18 and before they go to college or leave home for ...

Being asked to oversee a family trust is a big deal. It’s a huge responsibility, and one you may not feel prepared to accept. Even if you’ve participated in or been exposed to the world of trusts, you may not have the knowledge or skills to be an effective trustee right now. The first step in deciding whether to accept this role is to learn more ab...

In collaboration with a consortium of interested parties, including Holland & Knight attorneys, the Tennessee legislature has made significant strides toward securing and maintaining the state’s status as one of the leading jurisdictions for trust administration. These efforts have resulted in more consequential improvements to the Tennessee’s ...

Simply because the instrument governing your trust states that it is irrevocable and cannot be amended does not mean it cannot be modified to serve your family’s needs in a better fashion. Delaware law offers an array of options—administrative amendment, decanting, a nonjudicial settlement agreement, consent modification, trust merger, and judicial...

Beginning with the trustee fiduciary duties to the beneficiaries of a trust, attorney Abbey Magnuson of Foley & Lardner’s Estate & Trusts Practice Group discusses ways to mitigate trustee liability in this 10-minute interview with Brian Lucareli. Abbey also emphasizes the role Family Offices play in the administration of trusts and how they...

21st century wealth owners and their financial advisors often seek to design trusts that are flexible enough to withstand personal and financial changes yet manage the investment's outcome. Trusts serve the useful purpose of retaining control of funds pending certain events, after which funds may, can or must be transferred to or on behalf of the b...

40% of families now gift their assets through trusts compared to 12.5% in 1995. Directed trusts, special purpose entities, trust protector companies, and regulated and unregulated private trust companies have all played integral roles in the growing popularity of trusts. This session focused on the important reasons families are choosing these popu...

FOX’s annual estate planning webcast will lead participants through a thoughtful discussion of some of the most important topics and developments that were addressed at the 57th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning. Key legislative, regulatory, and case law updates impacting ultra-high net worth families and their family offices will be c...

Tennessee enacted a new trust bill effective July 1, 2024 that made several key changes to Tennessee’s trust laws as well as an important change to the Tennessee general partnership statute. Another highlight includes changes to the Tennessee Revised Uniform Partnership Act, which may enable interests in a family-owned general partnership to qualif...

Single family offices should understand Lender Bagel structures and consider using them if they are not already. Knowledge of this structure has spread like wildfire since the landmark case, Lender Management LLC v. Comm’s. This article equips the reader with an understanding of the core principles of what Lender Bagel structures and how to investi...

FOX’s annual estate planning webcast will lead participants through a thoughtful discussion of some of the most important topics and developments that were covered at the 55th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning. Key legislative, regulatory, and case law updates impacting ultra-high net worth families and their family offices will be cov...

The family enterprise provides a strategic framework for families to stay together and accomplish the shared goals of growing wealth and managing risks through the generations. Within the enterprise, the Private Trust Company (the PTC) provides a beneficial mechanism to support the enterprise and the family’s growth and development. In addition to ...