• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
  • Services
    • Asset Protection & Business Planning
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Services
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration & Probate
  • Elder Law
    • Coping With Alzheimer’s
    • Emergency Medicaid & Nursing Home Planning
    • Guardianship & Conservatorship
    • Hospice Care
    • Medicaid Planning
    • Veterans Benefits
  • Seminars
  • Areas We Serve
    • Ballwin
    • Chesterfield
    • Clayton
    • Creve Couer
    • Des Peres
    • Edwardsville
    • Fenton
    • Glen Carbon
    • Glendale
    • Kirkwood
    • Maryland Heights
    • Oakland
    • Sappington
    • St. Louis
    • Sunset Hills
    • Valley Park
    • Webster Groves
  • Resources
    • Asset Protection Worksheet
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Chesterfield Elder Law
      • Fenton Elder Law
      • Kirkwood Elder Law
      • Sunset Hills Elder Law
      • St. Louis Elder Law
      • St. Peters Elder Law
      • Webster Groves Elder Law
    • FREE Estate Planning Seminars
    • FREE Estate Planning Worksheet
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Estate Planning
      • Families Without an Estate Plan
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Trust Administration & Probate
    • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
    • Medicaid Resources
    • Multimedia
    • Newsletters
    • Presentations
    • Pre Consultation Form
    • Probate Checklist
    • Probate Resources
    • Retirement Planning Checklist
    • Special Reports
      • Advanced Estate Planning
      • Basic Estate Planning
      • Estate Planning For Niches
      • Trust Administration
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Amen, Gantner & Capriano | Your Estate Matters, L.L.C.

St. Louis Estate Planning & Elder Law Attorneys

Logo
CONNECT WITH US TODAY (314) 966-8077
ATTEND A FREE WEBINAR
Home / Estate Planning / Ever-Changing Laws Present Estate Planning Challenges

Ever-Changing Laws Present Estate Planning Challenges

July 11, 2011

Estate Planning Tagged With: Estate Planning, Inheritance Planning, Legacy Planning

The thing about estate planning that many people do not fully understand is the fact that it is not something that you do once and then forget about. When you first sit down to put an estate plan in place you are doing so based on circumstances as they existed at that time. These circumstances are both personal and societal. But as your own life changes and as the laws and the financial markets go through their own inevitable changes you will need to update your estate plan accordingly.

On a personal level, people often get divorced, they remarry, they have grandchildren, and their financial standing will inevitably fluctuate over the years. All these types of events call for estate plan updates.

But then there are the things that are out of your control entirely, such as the estate tax parameters. To give you an example of just how profound these changes can be, at the present time the estate tax exclusion is $5 million and the top rate is 35% as a result of the passage of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. If this measure had not been passed the estate tax exclusion would have been $1 million in 2011 and the maximum rate would have been 55%.

In a classic instance of “déjà vu all over again,” this measure that is currently in place is scheduled to sunset at the end of 2012 just as the Bush tax cuts were to expire at the end of 2010. If it does indeed expire without any new legislation passing to replace it, we will once again be faced with a $1 million exclusion and a 55% top rate when 2013 begins. Needless to say, there’s a big difference between zero tax liability on a $5 million estate and a 55% bite on $4 million of that $5 million estate, and this difference ($2.2 million) hinges on a single tick of the clock.

Considering how much there is at stake you can see why it is so important to have a communicative, ongoing working relationship with your estate planning attorney so that you can adjust your plan as necessary.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Paul Gantner
Paul Gantner
I am an owner of Amen, Gantner & Capriano, Your Estate Matters, L.L.C. I have been able to bring my business and legal education and experience into a firm that has for many years provided comprehensive estate plans that meet clients’ needs and expectations.My passion has been creating and constantly pushing AGC’s mission of “Helping Families Secure their Legacies by Embracing them into the Law Firm Family through Long-term, Personal Advisory Relationships.”
Paul Gantner
Latest posts by Paul Gantner (see all)
  • Show Your Love by Creating an Estate Plan - March 21, 2023
  • What You Need to Know About SECURE Act 2.0 - March 14, 2023
  • The Lessons from Lisa Marie - March 7, 2023

Filed Under: Estate Planning Tagged With: Estate Planning, Inheritance Planning, Legacy Planning

Other Articles You May Find Useful

The Lessons from Lisa Marie
Common Mistakes in Estate Planning – Part II
Common Mistakes in Estate Planning – Part I
Now That Mid-Terms Are Over, Let’s Talk Taxes
Refresh and Reset: Syncing up in San Diego
Planning for the “Silver Tsunami”

About Paul Gantner

I am an owner of Amen, Gantner & Capriano, Your Estate Matters, L.L.C. I have been able to bring my business and legal education and experience into a firm that has for many years provided comprehensive estate plans that meet clients’ needs and expectations. My passion has been creating and constantly pushing AGC’s mission of “Helping Families Secure their Legacies by Embracing them into the Law Firm Family through Long-term, Personal Advisory Relationships.”

Primary Sidebar

Download our free Estate Planning Worksheet

There's a lot that goes into setting up a comprehensive estate plan, but with our FREE worksheet, you'll be one step closer to getting yourself and your family on the path to a secure and happy future.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • youtube

Blog Subscription

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Where We Are

Amen, Gantner & Capriano
10733 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 425
St. Louis, MO 63127

See Larger MapGet directions

Office Hours

Monday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Map

map for Amen, Gantner & Capriano Your Estate Matters office
  • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
  • About The American Academy
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Footer

Connect to us

  • Facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • youtube
footer-logo

© 2023 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.

Amen, Gantner & Capriano,
Your Estate Matters, LLC

Attorney Advertisement