StokesLaw™ Briefs

What happens to the assets in a joint bank account when one of the account holders dies? Jenna Ichikawa reviews the types of joint tenancy accounts.

A new law in Washington allows an individual to execute a deed during his or her lifetime that takes effect at death without the need for a probate proceeding. Jenna Ichikawa explains how it works.

Karolyn Hicks shares tips on how to reduce the likelihood of disputes between family members over trusts and estates.

On August 4, 2014, the Court of Appeals, Division I, issued a slightly revised opinion from its May opinion, In re Estate of J. Thomas Bernard, again confirming two long-standing practices in the trust and estate field: (1) that encompassed within trustee's and personal representative's duties is the duty to defend a decedent's last stated intent; and (2) that parties can use the Trust and Estate Dispute Resolution Act ("TEDRA") to modify earlier agreements and estate planning docume...

This second part of a three-part series offers tips business owners should consider when transferring the equity of closely held businesses to younger generations.

Jenna Ichikawa explains how surviving spouses may benefit from a new IRS rule that retroactively extends the time to file certain federal estate tax returns.