Shows / The Legal Exchange
The Legal Exchange
The Legal Exchange radio show is designed to provide you with information and a better understanding of the estate tax and elder law planning issues, as well as guide you through the complex rules of Medicaid planning and Medicaid eligibility. Todd will also address ways to avoid the probate process, and will discuss estate, gift and income tax concerns. In addition, Todd will bring on a guest attorney that specializes in other areas of the law in an effort to provide you with a wide range of…
Episodes
- The Legal Exchange
Could Your Estate Plan Be Costing Your Family Thousands in Taxes?
An estate plan is supposed to protect your family, but poorly written documents and costly mistakes can create serious financial and legal problems. From…
- The Legal Exchange
How to Protect Your Home and Family Business From Estate Planning Mistakes
Could a nursing home stay put your family home at risk? What happens when a family business is passed down without a clear succession plan? And could gifting…
- The Legal Exchange
Estate Planning Mistakes That Could Cost Your Family Thousands
Estate planning isn't just about who inherits your money. The way you structure a trust, name beneficiaries, and transfer assets can determine how much your…
- The Legal Exchange
How Divorce Can Put Your Inheritance at Risk
In this episode of The Legal Exchange, Todd Lutsky of Cushing & Dolan and Susan Powers of Armstrong Advisory Group discuss how to protect inheritances from…
- The Legal Exchange
Estate Planning Mistakes: Wills, IRAs, Creditors and Gifting Assets
In this episode of The Legal Exchange with Todd Lutsky, Todd Lutsky and Susan Powers examine two court cases involving disputed inheritances and creditor…
- The Legal Exchange
Should You Gift Assets Before You Die? The Tax Mistakes to Avoid
Giving assets to your children may sound like a simple way to reduce your estate, but the wrong gift can leave your family with a much larger tax bill. The…
- The Legal Exchange
Why Your Estate Plan Needs the Right Words
Estate planning mistakes often come down to ownership, beneficiary language, and whether the documents clearly define who should — and should not — inherit. In…
- The Legal Exchange
Why Giving Assets to Your Kids Can Backfire
Giving property or money to children may seem simple, but it can create major problems when marriages, taxes, creditors, or family disagreements get involved…
- The Legal Exchange
Second Marriages, Trusts and IRAs: Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid
Second marriages can make estate planning significantly more complicated. Without the right plan, state law may determine who inherits your assets, potentially…
- The Legal Exchange
How Trusts Can Protect Your Assets From Probate and Creditors
A handwritten note, a family business, a trust, and a disputed estate all demonstrate how quickly estate planning can become complicated when the right…
- The Legal Exchange
Special Needs Trusts, Medicaid Planning, and Protecting Assets Last Minute
A direct inheritance can create major problems for someone receiving asset based government benefits, but the right trust language can help protect those…
- The Legal Exchange
How Trust Language Can Prevent Family Fights Over Real Estate
Real estate can create major problems inside an estate plan when beneficiaries do not agree on whether to keep, sell, or divide a family property. In this…
- The Legal Exchange
Why You Should Never Give Away Your Real Estate
Giving property to a family member may seem like a simple estate planning solution, but it can leave you without control of your home and expose the property…
- The Legal Exchange
How Last Minute Medicaid Planning Can Protect Assets
n this episode of The Legal Exchange, Todd Lutsky and Susan Powers continue their discussion of last-minute Medicaid eligibility and explain how families may…
- The Legal Exchange
Last Minute Medicaid Planning Can Still Protect Assets
A nursing home stay can create an urgent financial crisis, but Todd Lutsky explains why families should not assume they have to spend everything before…
- The Legal Exchange
What Happens When You Die Without a Will?
A missing will, out of state property, nursing home paperwork, and an improperly signed document can all create costly legal problems for families. The good…
- The Legal Exchange
Don't Apply for Medicaid on Your Own!
Trusts can play a major role in protecting assets, avoiding probate, and reducing estate taxes, but the details of how they are drafted and funded can…
- The Legal Exchange
How Trusts Can Protect Your Home and Reduce Estate Taxes
Trusts can play a major role in protecting assets, avoiding probate, and reducing estate taxes, but the details of how they are drafted and funded can…
- The Legal Exchange
Real Estate Can Complicate Even the Best Estate Plan
Estate plans can get complicated when real estate, trust language, and family expectations do not line up, especially when property is sold before…
- The Legal Exchange
Estate Planning Procrastination Can Cost Your Family
Waiting too long to create an estate plan can leave your loved ones with years of legal battles, unnecessary expenses, and outcomes you never intended. In this…
- The Legal Exchange
The Trust Decisions That Can Make or Break an Estate Plan
Choosing the right trust is one of the most important parts of estate planning, especially when families are trying to avoid probate, reduce estate taxes…
- The Legal Exchange
When Estate Planning Goes Wrong, Families Pay the Price
In this episode of The Legal Exchange, Todd Lutsky and Susan Powers discuss two court cases that show how poor planning and poor recordkeeping can lead to…
- The Legal Exchange
The Trust Mistakes That Can Cost Families Later
Trusts can help families avoid probate, reduce estate taxes, and protect assets from long-term care costs, but using the wrong type of trust can create major…
- The Legal Exchange
What Happens When Your Fiduciary Disregards Your Wishes
Todd and Susan Powers break down real court cases involving second marriages, joint accounts, powers of attorney, revocable trusts, and allegations of undue…
- The Legal Exchange
Why a Will Is Not Enough to Protect Your Estate
Relying on a will, joint ownership, or informal family agreements can create major estate planning problems that leave families exposed to probate, taxes…
- The Legal Exchange
Why Old Estate Plans Become Dangerous Over Time
In this episode of The Legal Exchange with Todd Lutsky, Todd and Susan Powers break down real court cases involving second marriages, joint accounts, powers of…
- The Legal Exchange
The Estate Planning Mistakes That Destroy Families
One bad estate planning decision can create years of legal battles, family conflict, and financial damage. In this episode of The Legal Exchange, Todd Lutsky…
- The Legal Exchange
Why Estate Plans Fail When Life Changes
One mistake in your estate plan can cost your family millions. In this episode of The Legal Exchange, Todd Lutsky and Susan Powers walk through real cases that…
- The Legal Exchange
One Mistake Can Cost Your Family Everything
One mistake in your estate plan can undo everything you intended. In this episode of The Legal Exchange, Todd Lutsky and Susan Powers walk through real cases…
- The Legal Exchange
Estate Planning Mistakes That Can Cost Your Family Everything
Simple estate planning decisions can create major financial and legal problems. In this episode of The Legal Exchange, Todd Lutsky and Susan Powers walk…
- The Legal Exchange
Trust Mistakes and How to Protect Your Estate
Poor planning can tear families apart—and cost far more than expected. In this episode of The Legal Exchange, Todd Lutsky and Susan Powers walk through real…
- The Legal Exchange
$32M Estate Mistake, Nursing Home Contracts, and Trust Planning Explained
One estate planning mistake cost millions—and it happens more often than you think. In this episode of The Legal Exchange, Todd Lutsky and Susan Powers break…
- The Legal Exchange
Life Estates Gone Wrong: Divorce Drama, Deeds & Costly Mistakes
On this week’s episode of The Legal Exchange with Todd Lutsky, Todd and Susan break down two cautionary court cases that highlight why estate planning…
- The Legal Exchange
Joint Accounts, Will Contests & Life Estate Mistakes
Todd Lutsky and Susan Powers break down two cautionary estate planning cases—one involving a joint brokerage account that bypassed a trust and sparked a family…
- The Legal Exchange
Arbitration Agreements, Undue Influence & The Real Risks of Life Estates
Todd Lutsky and Susan Powers break down a Mississippi Supreme Court case involving nursing home arbitration agreements and explain why signing the wrong…
- The Legal Exchange
Second Marriages, Bad Estate Planning, and the Lawsuits That Follow
Todd Lutsky and Susan Powers examine how quickly estate plans can fall apart when life changes but the documents don’t. A Minnesota case involving divorce…
- The Legal Exchange
Promises Don’t Protect Estates — Why Second Marriages Require Real Planning
Todd Lutsky and Susan Powers break down two cautionary court cases that highlight what can go wrong when estate plans rely on verbal promises instead of…
- The Legal Exchange
Unmarried Partners, Joint Trusts, and the Risks of Poor Estate Planning
Todd Lutsky and Susan Powers examine two real court cases that highlight how estate planning decisions — or the lack of them — can dramatically alter family…