Thought Leadership

Christopher Burns with Lloyd D. Stern highlight the concept of trust decanting, a new and useful vehicle, but it is not without its own traps and pitfalls, which warrant moderation and a careful approach. “Pour carefully when decanting irrevocable trusts” was published in Minnesota Lawyer on June 27, 2016.  

While Minnesota was enjoying mid-day high temperatures of -1, Christopher Burns was absorbing the content of the 50th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning in Orlando, Florida. Christopher brings that content back to Twin Cities Estate Planning Council and shares what is new, what remains the same, and what to expect in legislative changes and Supreme…

Alan Eidsness and Jaime Driggs have some guidance when it comes to the division of property in a family law article in Minnesota Lawyer™ Spousal maintenance is a tough issue for many reasons and the uncertainty surrounding whether tax consequences are considered makes it even more challenging. Read more at Spousal maintenance: when are the…

Christopher Burns with Lloyd D. Stern developed a list of changes to Minnesota trust law that are generally effective as of January 1, 2016. In a comprehensive update of the law, the Legislature codified caselaw, adopted many provisions of the Uniform Trust Code and added a provision for decanting trusts. “Key changes in Minnesota trust…

The recently published article in Minnesota MD NEWS, “Your Wealth-care Team: Partnering with Physicians to Grow, Manage and Transfer Wealth” describes how physician groups can benefit from financial and succession planning, and provides the top five financial and estate planning priorities for physicians. “It is generally fair to say that physicians are a well-educated, intelligent group…

The mental health of a party is often at issue when litigating custody or parenting time issues and medical records pertaining to a parent’s mental health can be important evidence. A recent decision from the Court of Appeals calls into question how to go about obtaining a party’s mental health records. Huber v. Vohnoutka, No….