Dismuke & Waters Legal Blog

We are writing to you about a very important change on the horizon. This important change is the implementation of the Corporate Transparency Act, which will impose significant new reporting requirements on many small businesses. This blog concerns the Corporate Transparency Act, due to its broad...

Any commercial real estate lease that is valid and binding is a long and densely written legal document. They ideally protect the rights and interests of each party involved in the deal, outlining a list of basic details as well as a lengthy list of clauses that address a wide range of issues spe...

In 2009, Texas enacted legislation approving what's known as a “series LLC”. Since that time, the series LLC has become an increasingly popular way for investors and entrepreneurs to own different assets and/or business units in a single LLC while at the same time segregating potential liability ...

On January 1, 2021, the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) was enacted. The CTA authorized the Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) to set up a secure beneficial ownership registry for information on entities created in or qualified to do business in the Un...

2021 TAX PROPOSALS – GREEN BOOK DISMUKE & WATERS, P.C. August 2021 You likely are aware, from the news and our prior communications, that Congress is continuing to consider proposals that may have a significant impact on many estate plans.  Although we still cannot be certain which, if any, o...

Last week, the White House released The American Families Plan, which includes some new details regarding the Biden administration's proposed 2021 tax reform. The tax changes expected to be enacted this year will be substantial and far reaching and will include corporate, individual and capital g...

Many of you have likely read about the bill that Senator Bernie Sanders has submitted. The purpose of this blog is to provide a few high points to see if it is worth having a conversation about how it may to apply to you and what you can do now to take advantage of current law before it is too la...

Individuals with significant and unique assets may need to consider several things with estate planning. Leaving monetary assets such as bonds, stocks or cash may not require specialized management, but when the testator has amassed an extensive art collection in a Texas home, the beneficiaries r...

Crafting an estate plan can be an expensive venture, but that does not mean it's solely for the well-to-do families of Arlington and Southlake, TX. The fact is that no matter how much or how little you have within your estate, it is always a good idea to ensure that your assets are properly handl...

Just because someone dies, it doesn't mean all their debts are automatically paid off or forgiven. In some cases, their family members may even be responsible for paying them off. That's why it's essential to have an updated estate plan. When a person passes away, their assets become their estate...

Family conflict is a common cause of estate plan disputes. This can result in costly litigation, which can lead to a delay in the disbursement of assets. Families can reduce this risk by having open conversations with their adult children about their estate plans. What is an estate plan? It is im...

You love your children and have so unconditionally even though you sometimes question the choices they have made throughout their lives. But that is what often happens in parenthood. However, one of those choices has remained a sticking point with you. And that has been their casual attitude towa...

You have worked your whole life to earn your retirement. You have saved money and invested well, funding a relaxing retirement free of obligation. All that remains is making sure your children and heirs have the financial stability they need to succeed. If you are looking for options for securing...

Estate planning for people who own real estate brings unique concerns to the forefront. Should you leave instructions to liquidate this asset after you pass away and distribute the profits to your loved ones, or will your beneficiaries receive the property itself? Will your loved ones have joint ...

Most business owners or co-owners have specific ideas and goals regarding the transfer of their business ownership interests when they pass away. However, there are numerous legal challenges and roadblocks to passing on your business interests. Passing on your business interests requires careful ...

The federal estate tax exemption has jumped over the past few years. Currently, estates valued at $11,580,000 or less will avoid the estate tax. This amount increases to $23,160,000 for married couples. Estates worth more than these amounts – factoring in marital status – will lose around one-six...

We recently welcomed a new attorney to our firm:  Christin D. Day.  Christin graduated from the SMU Dedman School of Law where she was the recipient of the Forest Smith General Counsel Forum Scholarship.  Prior to law school she received a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, magna cum laude, and wa...

A Q&A for Employers R.S. “Rob” Ghio, Of Counsel to the Firm On June 15, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, holding in a 6-3 decision that Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination against gay and transgende...

Over the last six weeks or so we have all been challenged to work from home and find new and creative ways to still accomplish what our jobs have required, while possibly taking on some new tasks. As we reopened on May 1 pursuant to the Governor's plan, we can look back and see how the challenges...

To say that we are living in interesting times would be a gross understatement. In the span of just a few weeks we have gone from record high stock market indices and historically low unemployment, to oil wars, pandemic virus, historic loss of stock market capitalization, skyrocketing unemploymen...

R.S. “Rob” Ghio – Of Counsel On March 18, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which had passed the House on March 13. President Trump signed the Act into law the evening of March 18, which puts the effective date at April 2. We wanted to provide information a...

We do not know where this new virus is headed, but we know one thing:  we will do the best job we possibly can for you and your case.  The good thing is our firm has cutting edge technology which means that even if we are required to close our offices, we will remain “open” to our clients remotel...

Limited liability companies, also called LLCs, are an increasingly common form of business organization. They have many attributes in common with corporations but are often taxed as partnerships. Uniquely, if there is only one owner, they can be treated as a disregarded entity for tax purposes. T...

Employees and IRA owners should review their planning in light of the changes made by the SECURE Act to the rules governing retirement plans and IRAs. In the past conduit trust language was often used to permit the IRA to pass into a trust for a child for various reasons. This technique mandated ...

We get the privilege of representing remarkable people. Many of our clients have a spirit within them that encourages them to give back and charitably provide for others. The gifts can be of their time or money and can be impactful in many ways. I enjoy these encouraging stories of clients making...