• posted: Sep. 21, 2021
• Stanton Anker
• estate tax,  dynasty trust,  federal exemption,  income tax liability

Dynasty trusts are tools that allow the grantor (the person who funds the trust) to pass assets down to future generations without the burden of estate and gift taxes that Read More

• posted: Sep. 21, 2021
• Stanton Anker
• Chapter 11,  Subchapter V,  repayment plan,  small businesses

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc across the globe and caused businesses to face serious financial hardship. For many, Chapter 11 business bankruptcy has been a useful way of staying Read More

• posted: May 12, 2021
• Stanton Anker
• child support,  remarriage,  child support modification

South Dakota courts can modify a child support order when one or both parents make are request due to a significant life change. Remarriage of either parent and the addition Read More

• posted: May 12, 2021
• Stanton Anker
• probate,  simplified probate,  small estates,  informal probate

If you are a surviving spouse or descendant of someone who has passed away with a small amount of property, or you are the executor of an estate with minimal Read More

• posted: May 12, 2021
• Stanton Anker
• divorce,  equitable distribution,  marital property,  separate property

There are many misunderstandings about how a court decides who gets what in a South Dakota divorce. Some people think that the court will always split property equally between the Read More

• posted: May 12, 2021
• Stanton Anker
• divorce,  child custody,  domestic abuse

In South Dakota as elsewhere, child custody determinations are based on what a judge deems to be in the best interests of the child. In situations where allegations of domestic Read More

• posted: Apr. 21, 2021
• Stanton Anker
• divorce,  presumption of equal joint custody,  physical custody,  best interests

South Dakota lawmakers failed to join nine other states that recognize a presumption of equal joint custody — also known as shared parenting — for children of divorced parents. A Read More

• posted: Jan. 04, 2021
• Stanton Anker
• Payable-on-Death Accounts,  Transfer-on-Death Deeds,  Probate,  estate planning,  beneficiary

Probate in South Dakota can be a complicated and drawn-out process if the estate has a net worth of more than $50,000. Fortunately, there are methods that allow even wealthy Read More

• posted: Jan. 04, 2021
• Stanton Anker
• living trusts,  Domestic Asset Protection Trust

If you hold substantial wealth and you fear that you might be exposed to liability or incur serious debts in the future, you may need a way of protecting your Read More

• posted: Jan. 04, 2021
• Stanton Anker
• chapter 12 bankruptcy,  farm and ranch owners,  automatic stay,  agriculture

Farms and ranches are often liability-heavy businesses and the recession of 2020 has hit them particularly hard. Fortunately, federal law provides a tailor-made way for those primarily engaged in agricultural Read More

• posted: Oct. 19, 2020
• Stanton Anker
• chapter 11,  reorganization,  creditors,  shareholders

Chapter 11 is a form of bankruptcy protection that allows creditors to be partially paid back as an insolvent company regains its financial viability. However, there are a number of Read More

• posted: Oct. 19, 2020
• Stanton Anker

Tractor-trailers, semi-trucks and other large commercial vehicles are ever-present dangers on South Dakota highways, made worse when there are lapses in drivers’ attention. Lane drifting, abrupt braking and other erratic Read More

• posted: Oct. 19, 2020
• Stanton Anker
• living trusts,  probate,  property transfer,  transfer on death,  joint tenancy with right of survivorship

Probate is a court proceeding that occurs when a deceased has left a will to direct how his or her assets are to be distributed. In the absence of a Read More

• posted: Jul. 30, 2020
• Jordan D. Bordewyk

In South Dakota, House Bill 1169 goes into effect July 1, 2020. This new law expands prohibitions on use of a cell phone while driving. While this law may be Read More

• posted: Jul. 30, 2020
• Stanton Anker

Every year the Internal Revenue Service announces a list of tax scams, which it terms the “Dirty Dozen”.   Tax scams tend to rise during tax season or during times Read More

• posted: Jul. 24, 2020
• Stanton Anker
• COVID-19,  Chapter 12,  farm bankruptcy,  Family Farmer Relief Act

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, American farmers were already struggling with export market disruptions, low commodity prices, weather events and declining farm income. The virus has made a tough Read More