BDBF News and Legal Updates

Maryland is one of the few states that charges “inheritance tax”. We’ll start with the good news before you read on—fortunately, most conveyances of property are exempt from inheritance tax. However, it is important to be aware of inheritance tax as you consider bequests from your will, trust, or transfers via beneficiary designation. What is...

Memorial Day Weekend—at once, a holiday to mark a solemn occasion, but simultaneously the unofficial start of summer. How do BDBF attorneys commonly spend their long Memorial Day Weekend? We asked them! Liz Farley Memorial Day Weekend means the start of summer and the start of wedding season! In years past we have had a...

In legislation that we will be keeping a close eye on, Maryland officials have proposed significantly reducing the state estate tax exemption from $5 Million to $2 Million. This would expose thousands more Marylanders – and many Bulman Dunie clients – to estate tax. What Is Estate Tax? Put simply, estate tax is a tax...

Philip (“Phil”) Kuljurgis has joined Bulman Dunie as an “of counsel” attorney supporting our personal injury and litigation practices. Phil has over 15 years of experience in private practice and as claims counsel for a national automobile insurer. You can learn all about Phil’s professional bona fides by visiting our webpage and reading his biography...

“Can My Kids Be Co-Agents?” This is one of the more common questions we get asked when we work with families to complete their Advance Medical Directive and Financial Power of Attorney. When clients designate their initial Health Care Surrogate or Financial Agent, the instinctive choice is to designate a spouse. But what about a...

A common tool used by many of our estate planning clients is the use of a trust to protect a loved one’s inheritance. Where a trust is established, the inheritance is retained in trust for the benefit of a designated beneficiary, rather than distributed to that beneficiary outright (under the beneficiary’s control). By taking this...

With a new year comes updated exemptions for estate tax exclusion and gift tax for 2024. What is the “estate tax exemption” and where is it going in 2024? The estate tax exemption refers to the value (or sum) of non-charitable bequests that can pass tax-free to someone other than your spouse upon your death,...