In this article, we discuss Iowa’s inheritance tax law and cover the following topics: Iowa estate tax versus Iowa inheritance tax; exemptions from the Iowa inheritance tax; calculating inheritance tax for each beneficiary; Iowa inheritance tax rates; and deadlines for filing Iowa inheritance tax forms.

In this article, we discuss how to avoid beneficiary designation problems by making sure your various investment accounts and estate planning align. We will answer the following questions: Does a will take precedence over beneficiary designations on my investment accounts?, can beneficiary designation affect estate taxes?, can an investment account be pulled automatically into a trust or will upon death?, what’s the difference between per stirpes and per capita distribution?, and can I just name my trust as the beneficiary of all my accounts?

In this article, we list the most important items for creating an Iowa estate plan, so you can start protecting your assets right away. We will cover the following items: designating a healthcare agent and financial agent in an estate plan; making a list of all the assets you want to be protected under your estate plan; designating beneficiaries; decide what vehicle is best for transferring your estate; and what should you do with the estate planning documents once completed?

Choosing a trustee is, perhaps, the most difficult decision you must make when completing an estate plan. Do you choose a family member or friend to be trustee? Why would you want a professional trustee? What should I look for in a trustee? What are the advantages of choosing a professional trustee?

Trust litigation occurs when the court is needed to resolve any disputes over your trust. Some of the most common causes of these disputes are around questions of the legality of the trust. This can include but are not limited to questioning the sound mind of the trustor/deceased at the time of writing the trust, accusations of fund misuse by the trustee, or suspicion of manipulation or coercion upon the trustor/deceased. If these conflicts reach the level where the family cannot agree, parties may seek legal representation to dispute the trust, which will begin trust litigation.