Estate Planning

An update on key planning developments.

When it comes to divorce, a will or trust often is not the last word on estate distribution.

Nicolas Puech, a reclusive fifth-generation descendant of the founder of French luxury giant Hermes International SCA, wants to adopt his middle-aged gardener to whom he would bequeath at least some of his fortune.

Anne Rhodes is the chief legal officer at Wealth.com.

The ruling underscores importance of careful will drafting and estate administration.

Nicolas Puech wants to leave his sizable inheritance to his 51-year old gardener.

The Trump-era tax cuts largely gutted the federal estate tax by massively increasing the individual estate and gift tax exemption to roughly $13 million for 2024.

Issue involved whether adopted individuals qualified as descendants.