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When Your Estate Plan Needs More Than a Will: Understanding Irrevocable Trusts in 2026

By John F. Davenport, Esq. | Davenport & Associates, Norwalk, CT | May 18, 2026 Most people who have done any estate planning have a will, maybe a revocable living trust, a power of attorney, and a healthcare proxy. That is a solid foundation. But for many families, it is not enough. A revocable living… View Article

The Annual Gift Tax Exclusion in 2026: How Families Are Transferring Wealth Tax-Free

By John F. Davenport, Esq. | Davenport & Associates, Norwalk, CT | May 14, 2026 One of the most straightforward and powerful tools in estate planning costs nothing to use, requires no attorney to execute, and most families completely underutilize. It is the annual gift tax exclusion, and in 2026 it allows you to give… View Article

Your Beneficiary Designation Form Is More Powerful Than Your Will. Here Is Why That Matters.

By John F. Davenport, Esq. | Davenport & Associates, Norwalk, CT | May 11, 2026 You spent months working with an attorney to draft a will. Maybe a trust as well. You made decisions about who gets what, named an executor, set up provisions for your children. You felt good about it. The plan was… View Article

Digital Estate Planning: What Happens to Your Online Accounts, Passwords, and Digital Assets When You Die

By John F. Davenport, Esq. | Davenport & Associates, Norwalk, CT | May 4, 2026 When most people think about estate planning, they think about their house, their investments, and their bank accounts. They think about who gets what and how to minimize taxes. But there is an entire category of assets that most estate… View Article

Can Medicaid Take Your House? How to Protect Your Assets From Nursing Home Costs in CT and NY

By John F. Davenport, Esq. | Davenport & Associates, Norwalk, CT | April 27, 2026 One of the most common questions I hear from families is some version of this: “If my mother needs a nursing home, can Medicaid take her house?” The short answer is: not while she is alive, in most cases. But… View Article

Social Security Spousal Benefits: How They Work, Who Qualifies, and the Mistakes That Cost Couples Thousands

By John F. Davenport, Esq. | Davenport & Associates, Norwalk, CT | April 23, 2026 Social Security is not just an individual benefit. For married couples, divorced spouses, and surviving spouses, there is a second layer of income that most people either do not know about or do not fully understand: spousal benefits. A Social… View Article