We have two goals: to represent our clients effectively at the negotiating table, and, if necessary, in court, while bringing calm, order, and sensitivity to an emotionally charged situation. We combine zealous representation with a dignified, systematic approach. That’s what makes us so effective.
We are well versed in the division of pensions, retirement plans, and other forms of deferred compensation, including the plans of private sector employers requiring a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO), government plans, military retirement, and the plans of international treaty organizations. We are also experienced in the valuation and division of businesses and professional services practices. We are experienced in the division of executive compensation, such as stock options, restricted stock, executive deferred compensation plans, and other forms of nonqualified retirement benefits. We are knowledgeable about the tax consequences of divorce and separation and can use our tax expertise to craft effective settlements.
We are experienced in resolving disputes about spousal and child support, including determination of income and evaluation of resources available for post-divorce family support.
We are able to draw on the expertise of our estate planning lawyers, several of whom have specialized degrees in taxation, to help our clients minimize the financial, tax, and business repercussions of separation and divorce or dissolution of a domestic partnership. We can also assist with structuring marital settlement agreements that include post-death obligations, such as an obligation to maintain life insurance or to create a trust for a former spouse or a child.
The President signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the “OBBBA”) into law on July 4, 2025. The OBBBA extends certain tax provisions implemented by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “TCJA”) and amends others. Various provisions of the OBBBA add certainty to existing estate planning methods and create new opportunities.
Many practitioners have spent the past few years planning with uncertainty because several provisions of the TCJA were scheduled to sunset on December 31, 2025. The OBBBA provides a greater degree of certainty, which will impact tax and estate planning. Additionally, new provisions have been introduced that may provide planning opportunities. Below are brief explanations of some of the provisions of the OBBBA that will affect how estate planners advise clients… MORE >
The legal profession stands at a pivotal moment as the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) prepares to roll out the NextGen Bar Exam beginning July 2026. For those engaged in trusts and estates, the ramifications of this shift extend well beyond the confines of legal education—they touch the very pipeline of practitioners and, ultimately, the public’s access to competent counsel in this vital area.
The Changing Landscape of Bar Examination
Historically, the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) has required substantive knowledge of trusts and estates, tested primarily through the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE). This structure incentivized law students to pursue coursework in the field, ensuring a baseline of competency among new attorneys. The NextGen Bar Exam, however, will reduce both the duration of testing and… MORE >
FILING REQUIREMENT REVISED PER INTERIM FINAL RULE
FinCEN has issued an interim final rule clarifying its position with respect to enforcement of the CTA. U.S. domestic reporting companies and U.S. domestic persons are not required to file, though international reporting companies are so required and new deadlines have been set for them. The interim final rule follows U.S. Treasury’s March 2, 2025 announcement.
How did we get here?
The Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) took effect on January 1, 2024, requiring certain small- and medium-sized corporations, LPs, LLCs, and similar closely held entities “reporting companies” to report certain company information and beneficial ownership information reports (BOIRs) to the US Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”).
On December 3, 2024, a federal district court in Texas… MORE >
Linda Ravdin has retired from the practice of law at the end of 2024 after a 50-year career. She hung out a shingle (not literally; she worked from the lawyers’ lounge at D.C. Superior Court) as soon as she passed the bar and began taking court-appointed criminal defense work. Later she switched to family law. After 22 years with Pasternak & Fidis in our Domestic and Family Law Group, countless accolades from local magazines, and a major treatise under her belt, Linda will hang up her law license but retain her honorific as the Grande Dame of Prenups. Linda was an early adopter of alternative dispute resolution in domestic cases: she encouraged clients into the collaborative process or mediation where possible, and she acted as… MORE >
Marital agreements – premarital, postmarital, and marital separation agreements – generally provide for the rights of a surviving spouse and, in many cases, for the rights of a surviving former spouse. Parties negotiating such an agreement may find it useful to incorporate provisions for a trust to hold assets for the benefit of a surviving spouse or former spouse. Parties in a blended family may want to balance the economic needs of a spouse, whether the marriage ends at death or dissolution, with the wish to pass wealth to their children. A wealthy party may want to ensure that property he/she inherited from parents or grandparents stays in his/her bloodline and may not want it to end up in the hands of a surviving spouse’s… MORE >
Many states provide tools for changing an “irrevocable” trust, and with the enactment of the Maryland Trust Decanting Act, Maryland lawmakers have provided another tool to improve irrevocable trusts in Maryland, but not without limitations.
I. What does it mean to “decant”?
Just as one might filter out impurities in wine via decanting, a trustee may correct errors or omit problematic trust terms by decanting (or distributing) assets of an existing trust (the “first trust”) to one or more new trusts with different, more favorable terms (the “second trust”). Trust decanting may be expressly authorized in the trust instrument or by state statute.
After the second trust, having the preferred terms, has been established by agreement or declaration, the trustee will direct that the assets… MORE >
The federal estate/gift tax exemption amount and the generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemption amount are both $13.61 million for 2024 (a $5 million base exemption, doubled in 2017 to $10 million and indexed for inflation). Under current law, this figure will become $13,990,000 on January 1, 2025, but it is scheduled to drop significantly on January 1, 2026, when the 2017 law that doubled the base exemption sunsets.
Now, however, we know the election results, and they portend a shift of power in both houses of Congress and the White House. Gridlock in Congress would have meant that the sunset would happen by default, but now extension of the higher exemption levels beyond the January 1, 2026 sunset date appears more likely. This may alleviate… MORE >
Micah Snitzer became a partner in the firm’s Estate Planning and Administration Group in early 2024, having joined the firm as an associate in 2014. He handles a wide range of estate planning matters, working with individuals and families to prepare wills, trusts, healthcare directives, and powers of attorney. He particularly likes the advisory role, working closely with clients to understand and achieve their estate planning objectives.
Micah grew up in a suburb of Minneapolis and earned his undergraduate degree from Colorado College, where he enjoyed the nurturing academic environment during the week and snowboarding on the weekends. He returned to Minneapolis to work as a legal assistant following graduation to gain insight into the legal profession, discovering that he truly enjoyed the work. Micah… MORE >
Congratulations to Anne Coventry, Stephanie Perry, and Linda Ravdin for making Washingtonian Magazine list of 2024’s Top Lawyers!
BY BETTINA RISTAU, PROBATE PARALEGAL
When someone dies, getting down to the business of administering the estate (or trust) can seem like a herculean task, especially while grieving. Below are observations made by the probate paralegal team here at Pasternak & Fidis in response to common client assumptions that we share in hopes of easing that burden for your loved ones when the time comes.
My estate documents are signed – I am all set!
Estate planning does not end when the will and trust instrument have been signed. Your estate planning attorney has created a customized plan for you and your family after considering your family structure, assets, values, and tax planning objectives. Your estate plan is, in effect, a roadmap to ensure that… MORE >
