As an estate planner, you should always be attuned to your clients’ goals, especially when estate and gift tax laws change. WealthCounsel conducted a survey with the help of Trusts & Estates magazine and Informa Engage of more than 500 estate planning professionals to gain insight into estate planning trends. The survey results revealed several popular goals for 2022, relating to large lifetime gifts, the upcoming sunset of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, and the deceased spousal unused exclusion (DSUE) amount. Read on to learn about clients’ estate planning goals.

While the SECURE (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) Act became law in late 2019, the Internal Revenue Service has only recently proposed how to implement it. The 275 pages of regulations have not yet been finalized, but their publication affects many estate planning clients.  These rules are a moving target, so it is important to learn about them from the source rather than relying on the expertise of custodians or financial advisors.

From the unenforceability of arbitration clauses in trusts to the applicability of the Americans with Disabilities Act to small businesses, we have recently seen significant developments in estate planning and business law. To ensure that you stay abreast of these legal changes, we have highlighted some noteworthy developments and analyzed how they may impact your estate planning and business law practice.