BDBF News and Legal Updates

You’ve finally crossed that item off your household to-do list.  You’re going to meet with an attorney to discuss your estate planning.  What should you expect both before and after the consultation?   Before the Consultation — The Intake Questionnaire Prior to your consultation with the planning attorney, you should expect to complete the intake...

Estate planning documents are drafted to stand the test of time. That being said, estate planning documents should be reviewed at least every 2-3 years to see if updates are necessary. Here are the 5 things to consider when reviewing your existing documents and determining if updates are in order: 1) Your Children, Their Ages,...

Lawrence “Larry” Bulman, our friend, colleague, mentor, and partner, passed away on April 15, 2022, at the age of 83. Larry practiced law here at BDBF, the firm founded by his father, Joe Bulman, for several decades. Larry lived a long and full life, surrounded by friends, children, and grandchildren.  He was diagnosed with pancreatic...

What does Bulman Dunie partner Jeremy Rachlin have in common with Olympic gold medalist, Dominique Dawes, and Diary of A Wimpy Kid author, Jeff Kinney? Jeremy, Dominique, and Jeff will be amongst the 8 Terrapin alumni receiving honors at A Celebration of Terps—The Maryland Awards on Friday, April 29, 2022. Jeremy will receive The Tyser-Gottwals Award. The Tyser-Gottwals...

For many of our probate clients administering the post-death affairs of a loved one, the most vexing issue can be retitling or the disposition of a car.   What complicates the post-death disposition of a vehicle? Ownership of your car passes by title. Many couples only hold title to a vehicle in the name of...

Most probate and trust clients winding up the financial affairs of a deceased family member focus first and foremost on marshaling assets. Selling real estate, making claims on life insurance, inheriting retirement accounts—these are the transactions that are often on top of mind for our clients. As we near tax time, there is one other...

“Who should we give copies of our estate planning documents?” Almost invariably, we are asked this question by our estate planning clients at some point during our work with them.  The answer is “it depends”.  It depends on the documents you have signed.  It depends on where you are in life.  And it may even depend...