Cummings & Lockwood LLC
 Courthouse Columns

News & Insights

When and to Whom Does a Trust Pay Income Tax?

November 2017

This presentation provides a comprehensive review of how trusts, including grantor trusts, are taxed and the states to avoid.  (18:40)

Unhappy with the Terms of a Trust? Decanting the Problem Away

November 2017

This presentation reviews how to draft trusts with flexibility and built-in asset protection features, as well as how to use decanting to “fix” problematic trusts to address changes in circumstances when old trusts are not flexible enough.  (32:01)

Estate Planning with Portability and Higher Exemption Amounts

November 2017

This presentation discusses why traditional estate plans are still relevant in the era of portability and increasing exemption amounts, as well as how to build flexibility into traditional structures to maximize federal and state estate tax exemptions and generation-skipping transfer tax vehicles.  (13:36)

Don’t Kill the Estate Plan -Titling Brokerage Accounts (and Other Assets) in Coordination with Estate Planning Documents

November 2017

This presentation addresses the common misconceptions about how bank and brokerage accounts and other assets should be titled for estate planning purposes.  (17:37)

Intra-Family Loans: Efficient, Simple and Powerful Estate Planning Tools

November 2017

This presentation discusses why families should be using intra family loans to minimize the impact of estate taxes, given the fact that interest rates are still near historic lows.  (14:14)

Keeping Your Client's Name Out of the Press: Obscuring Title to Real Estate

November 2017

This presentation reviews the various techniques that can be used to insure that a client’s desire for privacy is met when buying or selling a home.  (13:48)

Planning for the Transfer of a Hedge Fund or Private Equity Interest

November 2017

This presentation outlines the planning available for owners of hedge funds or private equity firms, including techniques such as GRATs and Installment Sales, Derivative Overlays, and the Vertical Slice Safe Harbor rules.  (25:11)

Cummings & Lockwood Selected as “Best Law Firm” By U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers

Cummings & Lockwood LLC is pleased to announce that the Firm and its six offices have been listed in the 2018 Edition of “Best Law Firms” by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers.

32 Cummings & Lockwood LLC Attorneys Named to 2018 Best Lawyers® List

Cummings & Lockwood LLC is pleased to announce that 32 of the Firm’s attorneys in Connecticut and Florida have been included in the 2018 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Ancillary Probate in Florida

This Practical Law Guide identifies and discusses the key laws and procedures regarding Florida ancillary probate proceedings, including, but not limited to, determining when a Florida ancillary probate proceeding is necessary or permissible, preliminary requirements for initiating an ancillary probate proceeding, appointment of a personal representative to maintain an ancillary probate proceeding in Florida, etc.

Client Alert - Important New Changes to the Connecticut Estate and Gift Tax

November 1, 2017

On October 31, 2017, Governor Dannel P. Malloy signed the new Connecticut State Budget for the Biennium Ending June 30, 2019.  The new budget included a change to the Connecticut Estate and Gift Tax Regime. 

Cummings & Lockwood’s Private Clients Attorneys Author a Series of Practical Law Trusts & Estates Guides for Bloomberg

Cummings & Lockwood’s private clients attorneys have recently authored a series of Practical Law Trusts & Estates Guides for Bloomberg which cover topics such as wills, living wills, health care representatives, advance health directives, power of attorney, estate tax, probate, revocable trusts and ancillary estate proceedings.