Cunningham Dalman

Estate planning is not exactly the best “get-together” conversation topic when you are with friends or family. For me and my wife, many of our friends and acquaintances have just started a family within the last few years or are getting close, and when my job comes up, the conversation shifts to “oh, you do […]

PART II In Part I of this blog post, I covered the general considerations for all estate planning clients in deciding what to tell their children in advance. In the second installment of this blog post, I wanted to cover the additional considerations when your estate plan includes more complex planning items such as high-value

PART I Deciding what to tell your adult children regarding your estate plan brings to mind one word: AWKWARD Without question, this is a bothersome issue for our clients. However, don’t let yourself worry too much. This is not a black-and-white issue and there really isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ approach to making this

Who do we need to call first? Where would he want to be buried? Where did he leave his important documents and valuables? A few months ago, my wife forwarded me a Wall Street Journal article that highlighted some of the unique “personal details” that become important when a loved one dies. The questions above

Late Tuesday night, news crossed the wire that the Senate passed the “Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014” (the “Act”) by a supermajority-exceeding vote of 76-16. The Act, which is predicted to be signed into law by President Obama within the next few days, provides a wide-ranging extension of tax breaks for individuals and businesses.

Local newspapers recently reported that the most frequent consumer complaints involve disputes with contractors over remodeling projects. To protect against problems when you remodel, make sure that you deal with a reputable contractor. Ask for references and contact them. Were other people satisfied with the contractor’s work? Get quotes and references from more than one

Due to a new law that took effect on December 31, 2013, it’s now possible to pass residential property to certain relatives without increasing the tax burden on them. This law essentially allows property to be kept in a family longer because the future generation will pay the same level of property tax that the

Everyone makes mistakes. Unfortunately, for certain people if the mistake resulted in a criminal conviction then the consequences can be harsh when it comes to finding employment. Indeed, many people find in their pursuit of a job their resume was tossed aside as soon as a criminal background check was run and revealed a conviction.

Recently, after a friendly game of pick-up basketball at a local gym, a friend came up to me with a serious look on his face. I thought it might have had something to do with the fact that I may have taken a shot too many during the game we had just played and lost.