In legislation that we will be keeping a close eye on, Maryland officials have proposed significantly reducing the state estate tax exemption from $5 Million to $2 Million. This would expose thousands more Marylanders – and many Bulman Dunie clients – to estate tax. What…

“Can My Kids Be Co-Agents?” This is one of the more common questions we get asked when we work with families to complete their Advance Medical Directive and Financial Power of Attorney. When clients designate their initial Health Care Surrogate or Financial Agent, the instinctive…

Philip (“Phil”) Kuljurgis has joined Bulman Dunie as an “of counsel” attorney supporting our personal injury and litigation practices. Phil has over 15 years of experience in private practice and as claims counsel for a national automobile insurer. You can learn all about Phil’s professional…

Valentine’s Day is upon us again! In the annals of television and movie history, there have literally been thousands of on-screen couples. Some old, some young, some with more chemistry than others, and some cringe-worthy. We asked BDBF attorneys to “think fast” and give their gut…

A common tool used by many of our estate planning clients is the use of a trust to protect a loved one’s inheritance. Where a trust is established, the inheritance is retained in trust for the benefit of a designated beneficiary, rather than distributed to…

With a new year comes updated exemptions for estate tax exclusion and gift tax for 2024. What is the “estate tax exemption” and where is it going in 2024? The estate tax exemption refers to the value (or sum) of non-charitable bequests that can pass…

Thanksgiving. A time for food, football, and family. When families gather – particularly when multiple generations gather – it is not unusual for younger generations to broach the subject (sometimes after a glass of wine or two) about estate planning. We know this because, at Bulman…

There is a significant piece of new law on the books effective January 1, 2024 that will impact all business owners, including many Bulman Dunie estate planning clients. Anecdotally, from talking to our clients who will be impacted by this change, most are not aware…

Ch-ch-ChangesPretty soon you’re gonna get a little olderTime may change meBut I can’t trace timeI said that time may change meBut I can’t trace time “Changes” by David Bowie When clients sign their estate planning documents, whether it is a power of attorney, a will,…

When The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, passed away in August 2018, few could imagine how messy she had left her legal affairs. Nearly five years later, in July 2023, following years of nasty intra-family litigation, a Michigan jury concluded that a 2014 document found…