Gifts That Violate the Statute of Frauds In May of 1954, Uncle Bob made an agreement with his 2 nieces, Anne and Becky. Under the agreement, Uncle Bob would purchase a house and convey it to Anne and Becky. They, in turn, would provide Uncle Bob with a home as long as he lived. The 2 sisters agreed to make the mortgage payments and pay the taxes, utilities, repairs, and...

Understanding the “Season of Giving” Pitch In this season of giving thanks for giving and giving for thanks, we should look at a financial product that is all about giving. I am speaking, of course, of annuities. An annuity is often marketed as a modern miracle: you give money to an insurance company and receive a guaranteed stream of income in return. Frankly, the insurance company is embarrassed to be caught...

Improbably, the normally prosaic practice of probate law has recently gotten exciting. The cause? The proliferation of do-it-yourself wills. Most online forms do not include state-specific language, and very few people fill them out correctly. Some types of omissions and ambiguities can even prevent the will from being probated altogether. These little gems have caused family rifts and placed a plethora of probate assets in limbo. They can turn what should...