With the exception of a spouse, beneficiaries of an IRA don’t have a lot of options when they inherit. Choices consist of receiving the funds in a lump sum or liquidation of the account over five years. That also means a spendthrift beneficiary can waste a parent’s hard-earned retirement income with disturbing ease.

As the federal estate tax exemption continues to rise – now at $5,450,000 per individual, double that for married couples – estate tax-oriented planning is relevant for fewer and fewer clients. As the legal industry shifts focus away from federal transfer tax, one of the new areas of concentration is planning for clients who are not U.S. citizens, but who seek to invest, do business, or send family members to the United States.

Everybody gets the same 24 hours in a day. Few people get maximum efficiency out of this resource, but that’s not always their fault. If your firm uses outdated attorney software, there’s no question your associates’ working hours – and their talents - aren’t being used to full effect.