January 5, 2025

Had a Revealing Holiday Season? Let’s Talk About Your Estate Plan

Remember that warm, fuzzy holiday feeling when your grandkids didn’t bother to call? Or watching certain family members treat your generosity like their personal ATM? Nothing like quality time with relatives to clarify your estate planning priorities. 

The January Advantage: More Than Just Timing 

While emotions are running high post-holidays, successful estate planning requires balancing immediate reactions with strategic thinking. In my 20+ years of protecting family wealth, January consistently emerges as the ideal time for estate plan updates. Why? Because you’ve just witnessed the intersection of family dynamics and financial responsibility in real-time. 

Beyond Basic Updates: Strategic Restructuring 

This isn’t just about disinheriting difficult relatives (though that’s certainly an option). It’s about: 

• Creating family limited partnerships that protect assets while teaching financial stewardship 

• Establishing private foundation structures that preserve your legacy while maintaining control  

• Implementing incentive trusts that reward responsible behavior 

• Restructuring trustee arrangements with multi-tiered oversight 

The Post-Holiday Clarity Advantage 

You’ve just witnessed everyone’s true colors in 4K resolution. Those holiday observations? They’re valuable data points for sophisticated estate planning: 

• Adult children showing financial maturity (or lack thereof)? Let’s adjust distribution structures accordingly 

• Family dynamics raising red flags? We can design trust protector provisions  

• Marriage looking shaky? Now’s the time for preemptive asset protection 

• That trustee candidate who maxed out three credit cards? Time to explore professional trustee options 

Strategic Timing Meets Tax Advantage 

January isn’t just about family revelations. It’s when you have all your year-end numbers fresh on your desk. Your financial picture is crystal clear, market valuations are current, and the year’s spending is tallied up. This is prime time to make smart tax moves. 

While everyone else is making resolutions, savvy families use this window to implement new trust strategies and leverage current valuations. We can optimize your annual exclusion gifts while the numbers are fresh and structure asset transfers before the year gets complicated. 

Moving Forward 

Ready to transform those holiday wake-up calls into strategic planning? Let’s talk while the memories – and the lessons – are still fresh. 

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Michael D. Wild

Of Counsel, Wealth Family Protection
Kelley Kronenberg-Fort Lauderdale, FL
(954) 370-9970
Email
Bio

Michael D. Wild serves as Of Counsel in Kelley Kronenberg’s Wealth Family Protection Division, where he architects sophisticated estate planning strategies for high-net-worth individuals and business owners. A Martindale Hubbell AV® Preeminent-rated attorney and multiple-time Super Lawyer selectee, Michael brings his experience as both a former managing partner and financial professional to help families preserve and protect their wealth across generations. Our integrated team combines sophisticated legal strategies across multiple practice areas to deliver customized solutions that protect substantial wealth, minimize tax exposure, and secure generational transfers. Contact mwild@kklaw.com to learn more.