When people establish a living trust, they often ask whether they should transfer their vehicles into it. While most people understand the importance of placing their home and other valuable assets into their trust, cars, trucks, motorcycles, RVs, and recreational vehicles present some different considerations. Unlike real estate, vehicles can sometimes be transferred to heirs after death without probate, even when they are not titled in a trust. However, there are also situations where leaving vehicles outside a trust can create unnecessary complications and expenses. So, should you put your…Read More
On October 9, 2026, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced a sweeping change in how it will enforce the National Firearms Act (NFA). Under the new guidance, ATF will no longer enforce many of the federal registration, application, and approval requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and firearms classified as “any other weapons.” For people who have spent years navigating the NFA’s registration system, this is a significant development. But it also raises an important question for the thousands of Americans who have established NFA…Read More
One of the most common changes clients make to an existing estate plan is changing the person they have selected to serve in an important role. Maybe the person you originally named as your trustee is no longer the right choice. Perhaps your personal representative has moved away. Your children may now be adults and capable of serving. Relationships change. Family circumstances change. People age, become unavailable, or simply are no longer the people you want making important decisions for you. From the client’s perspective, the request can sound very…Read More
Why Estate Planning Lawyers Still Usea Words That Sound Like They Belong in Ancient Rome If you have ever read a Will and wondered why lawyers insist on using words like testator and testatrix when “the person making the Will” would seem to work perfectly well, there is actually a reason. And, as with a surprising amount of American law, the trail leads all the way back to ancient Rome. Traditionally, a testator is a man who makes a valid Last Will and Testament. A testatrix is a woman who…Read More
For the first time in more than 30 years, the federal government is reopening a process that allows certain people who are federally prohibited from possessing firearms to apply for restoration of their gun rights. But there is an important limitation that is getting lost in many of the headlines: For most people convicted of state crimes, this new federal process is not the answer. The U.S. Department of Justice has issued a final rule establishing a process for applications under 18 U.S.C. § 925(c), a federal law allowing certain…Read More
A recent federal court ruling has dealt a major blow to the National Firearms Act, or NFA, the federal law that for more than 90 years has regulated suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, machine guns and certain other firearms. The ruling is significant. But it is also being badly oversimplified online. The court did not simply declare the entire National Firearms Act unconstitutional. It did not eliminate every federal firearm law, nor does it override a state’s laws. It also does not allow every American to immediately disregard every NFA…Read More
One of the most important decisions you make when creating a Revocable Living Trust is choosing who will serve as your successor trustee. This is the person who steps in to manage your affairs if you become incapacitated and administers your trust after your death. For many people, the first instinct is to name an adult child, another family member, or a close friend. While those choices can certainly work, they are not always the best choice. In many situations, a corporate trustee can provide significant advantages that families don't…Read More
Firearms are as “Idaho” as fresh air and wildlife. Shooting firearms or simply collecting them is a way of life, and it is how many Idaho families teach their children values and responsibility. Teaching a child firearm safety, sighting in a rifle before hunting season, letting friends hunt on your property, or maintaining a long-established private range are traditions passed down with the family ranch or farm. Similarly, a family’s ranch rifle or service pistol is a legacy preciously handed down through the generations. And while firearms demand respect, discipline,…Read More
The following is an excerpt from Alex Kincaid’s new book, “The Idaho Rancher’s Legal Guide.” The book will be available in 2026 from Amazon and at Alex Kincaid Law in Emmett. Anyone who has spent time around horses understands one simple truth: Risk is part of the deal. Riders fall. Horses spook. Gates get left open. A calm gelding can have a bad day, and a well-trained mare can react in a split second to something no one else even noticed. This reality has shaped ranch life for generations, and…Read More
