Gregory Varner & Associates

06/04/2026

ERISA mandates that a surviving spouse is the automatic beneficiary of employer-sponsored retirement plan accounts, including 403(b) plans. To override that default and name a non-spouse beneficiary, the participant needs a written spousal consent/waiver that is: Signed by the spouse, Witnessed by a plan representative or notary public, and Specific to the plan and beneficiary being designated.

The battle over one doctor’s retirement account serves as a reminder to update clients’ forms.

06/04/2026

But those pieces are not routinely brought together around a single question: what did this crash reveal about the system? So the same patterns repeat. The same locations show up again and again. And each individual crash is treated as a discrete event, rather than part of a larger failure.

The difference between documenting failure and learning from it.

06/03/2026

Complications may arise due to decades-long contracts, regulatory obligations and family disputes.

Complications arising from inheriting forestland may include decades-long contracts, regulatory obligations and family disputes.

06/01/2026

A structure of any kind is almost always better than the default: sole proprietorship and especially a general partnership.

I’ve come to view entity structure as one of the most critical early-stage strategic decisions a business makes.

05/19/2026

The issues raised in article have similar importance even if you have children.

Advisors must rethink fiduciary roles, beneficiaries and incapacity planning as more Americans choose not to have children

05/18/2026

"Congress has changed the rules for when beneficiaries must take money from inherited IRAs, 401(k)s, and other retirement accounts."

Congress changed the rules for when beneficiaries must take money from inherited IRAs, 401(k)s, and other retirement accounts. Here’s how to avoid the most common traps.

05/16/2026

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to celebrate the incredible administrative professionals who keep our firm running every day. From managing client communications to keeping our office organized and supporting our attorneys behind the scenes, their hard work does not go unnoticed.

To show our appreciation, we treated our team to lunch, facials, & massages as a small thank you for everything they do for our clients and our firm.

We are grateful for each of you and all the care, professionalism, and dedication you bring to the office every single day. 💙

05/15/2026

Alabama just passed a major new law aimed at combating property fraud, forged deeds, and wrongful land transfers.

The new Alabama Property Protection Act creates additional safeguards for landowners, especially families with inherited land or heirs’ property.

Here’s an article breaking down what the law means in plain language, including:
-New fraud protections
-Remote notarization changes
-Property owner alert systems
-New remedies for victims of title fraud

If your family owns inherited or generational property in Alabama, this is worth reading.

By Jacy Fisher In early April 2026, Governor Kay Ivey signed the Alabama Property Protection Act into law. The Act goes into effect on October 1, 2026, and it represents one of the most significant updates Alabama has made in years to address real estate fraud and wrongful property transfers. For ma...

05/11/2026

"[A]bsent a clear showing of substantial harm to the child, the noncustodial parent retains his or her fundamental right to direct the child's religious upbringing during his or her parenting time." I think this would be the same finding in Alabama.

From Friday's decision of the Nebraska Supreme Court in Munsell v. Munsell (opinion by Justice Derek Vaughn): Jacob and Libby…