An irrevocable life insurance trust (or “ILIT”) can be a critical component of estate planning for certain clients. Typically, the client who might benefit from an ILIT is the client who anticipates exposure to estate tax. At present, this includes DC clients who have more…

We have previously discussed powers of attorney and their role in estate planning. When we circulate draft estate planning documents to clients, we often get questions about the language within these documents. Here, we’ll shed a little bit more light on the language within these…

When most folks hear of “decanting”, they think of wine. When estate and trust attorneys hear of “decanting”, yes, many of us think about wine, but we also think about an important legal principle. The Maryland legislature passed a bill that will head to Governor…

When we navigate estate planning documents with our clients, there is a dizzying array of roles and positions within the documents. With the Academy Awards just last weekend and movies on our mind, we present the Estate Planning Cast of Characters, our handy reference guide…

We are taught from an early age to respect our elders. And indeed, we love our aging relatives. We take time away from work and  other activities to care for them and assist them. Yet one of the most commonly-challenged probate issues arises from compensation that a family…

We are excited to announce that, for the first time, Bulman Dunie received a clean sweep, with each firm attorney recognized by our peers as Top Rated Super Lawyers in Maryland 2023, with two attorneys receiving further recognition amongst the Top 100 and Top 50…

Cinema and television love to dramatize death. And what could be more dramatic than feuding family members sitting in suspense around a lawyer’s conference table about to learn the contents of the Will of the dearly departed? The Will is read out loud and all would learn…

Last year, BDBF attorneys revealed our favorite holiday movies. It sparked a lot of debate among our readers! So on an even more hot-button subject, this year we’ll reveal our favorite holiday songs! Jeremy Rachlin Just in case my rabbi is reading this, I feel…

Maryland voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment that will significantly impact the litigation of personal injury cases in Maryland courts. The new law means that more personal injury cases will be tried more quickly and less expensively, without a jury. What is a jury demand?…

With a new year comes updated exemptions for estate tax exclusion and gift tax for 2023. What is the “estate tax exemption” and where is it going in 2023? The estate tax exemption is the amount of non-charitable bequests that can pass tax-free to someone…