Does a Will avoid Federal Estate Taxes?
Sometimes. If you have a complex will which has trusts written into it, federal estate taxes can be avoided. The problem is that even complex wills must go through probate and they provide no protection from disability. However, the fact is that most wills written by attorneys are simple wills which pass the entire estate from one spouse to the other and then on to the children. Under such an arrangement, there is absolutely no protection from federal estate taxes.
