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Marital Property Agreements: They’re Not Just for Kanye West and Kim Kardashian

Posted on February 23, 2022 by

Spring officially begins on March 20th – less than one month away.  In Wisconsin, that means wedding planning is in full swing.  One important item on many wedding planning to-do lists is a pre-nuptial agreement. We hear a lot about “pre-nups” in pop culture.  One of the most iconic pop culture references is in the […]

Online Document Forms Don’t Always Do the Job

Posted on February 22, 2022 by

Wendell knew he needed a financial power of attorney document in order to make sure he named someone to manage his finances and take care of his business if he was ever unable to do so on his own. However, Wendell was busy and didn’t want to take the time or spend the money to […]

Wisconsin Marital Property Law

Posted on February 16, 2022 by

In Wisconsin, spring is wedding season, and many of our clients are beginning to request assistance with preparing pre-nuptial agreements in anticipation of the big day.  Attorney Shanna Yonke walks viewers through Wisconsin’s complex Marital Property Law in her latest post. Video Transcript: My name is Shanna Yonke, and I’m an attorney on Ruder Ware’s […]

Current Status of Federal Estate and Gift Tax Proposals

Posted on February 14, 2022 by

You likely are aware, from the news and our prior communications, that Congress currently is considering proposals that may have a significant impact on many estate plans. Although we still cannot be certain which, if any, of the proposed changes will become law, we want to provide you with an overview of their potential effect […]

Pros and Cons of Using the No-Contest Clause

Posted on December 13, 2021 by

Drafting an estate plan allows a person to put into writing their wishes for division of assets upon death.  Sometimes this means making a choice to give more to one child over the other, or to completely write out natural heirs of law.  An uncle whose nephew is like a son to him may bypass […]

Protecting Your Estate Plan from Challenges: No-Contest Clause Explained

Posted on December 6, 2021 by

Attorney Ashley Hawley explores no-contest clauses – what they are, when they make sense, and when you should avoid them in her latest vlog. Video Transcript: People handle grief differently and sometimes how a person handles the death of a loved one can be both confusing and also extremely frustrating – fighting over little things […]

What is the Gift Tax and How Does it Work?

Posted on November 22, 2021 by

Last week, I provided a brief overview of the gift tax in a vlog.  You can view the vlog here.  In this blog post, I’ll expand on basic gift tax concepts, just in time to make your holiday gifts. What is the gift tax?  Basically, the gift tax is a tax imposed on the gratuitous […]

Gift Tax Basics

Posted on November 17, 2021 by

As the holiday season approaches, Attorney Shanna Yonke shares insight regarding a topic at the top of client’s mind – what amount can be gifted without tax consequences? Video Transcript: My name is Shanna Yonke, and I’m an attorney on Ruder Ware’s Estate Planning Team. As the holiday season approaches, I will share basic information […]

Protecting Your Inheritance

Posted on September 20, 2021 by

So you’ve received an inheritance and you’re married. The person who left you the inheritance probably intended for it to benefit you, not your spouse, if you get divorced. How do you protect the inheritance? Wisconsin law provides limited protection.  Under Wisconsin’s Marital Property Act, which governs the classification of assets during marriage and on […]

Estate Planning Considerations for Unmarried Individuals

Posted on September 1, 2021 by

Estate planning is a process that must be customized to fit each individual’s unique situation.  Each individual has their own priorities and issues to address.  The priorities and issues for an unmarried individual are often different than those for married couples.  Some of the common priorities and issues that arise in estate planning for unmarried […]