Acorn Law LLC

10/15/2026

10/10 enthusiasm. 1/10 strategy. 🐾

At Acorn Law, we help busy Howard County families get their affairs in order, without the stress (or the backyard digging). Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and guardianship planning, all handled with you and your family in mind.

Let’s find you a better strategy. Book a consultation today. Link in bio.
ColumbiaMD EllicottCity

10/02/2026

When you’re handling a loved one’s estate, it helps to have someone who keeps things steady.

Meet Rebecca, who joined our estate administration team in May. She brings more than 12 years of paralegal experience, and she has a gift for taking a process that feels overwhelming and breaking it down one step at a time. Our attorneys count on her to keep every detail on track, so our clients can focus on their families instead of the paperwork.

Outside the office, she’s an accomplished quilt designer whose work has appeared in national shows and publications. It’s patient, careful work, and that’s exactly how she approaches every case.

We’re so glad to have her. Welcome, Rebecca!

09/25/2026

Couldn’t wait to share a sneak peek of one of our favorite details in the new office! For those who haven’t heard, we’re remodeling one side of a historic home to become the new home of Acorn Law. Just minutes from downtown Columbia and a quick drive down 108 to the courthouse, it’s the perfect spot for us.

What we’re most excited about is how it will feel to meet with clients here. Estate planning and administration are personal conversations about family, legacy, and the people you love. We wanted a space that feels less like an office and more like sitting down together in a friend’s home.

Can’t wait until it’s ready to welcome you all in!

09/22/2026

Ever wonder if your family would actually be able to find your will if something happened to you?

It happens more than you'd think: a family searching drawers and old files after a loss, not sure where anything is or if it's even the right version. Having a plan is a great start, but it only helps if the right people can find it and know what to do with it.

Our latest blog post shares some simple, practical tips: what documents to gather, where to keep them safe (including a note on Maryland's Register of Wills), and why talking to your personal representative or trustee ahead of time makes such a difference.

Read it here:

A family gathers after a loss, and someone starts opening kitchen drawers, filing cabinets, and old shoeboxes, looking for a will that might exist somewhere in the house. Nobody is sure where to look. Nobody is sure if what they find is even the current version. It's a scene that plays out more ofte

09/18/2026

Standing in the front yard of a new chapter for Acorn Law. New address. New roots. Many more acorns than our present location. Stay tuned for more details as we transition to a new space.

We think you’re going to love where we’re headed!

09/17/2026

A client came in recently having essentially copy pasted a family member’s trust to use as his own. The problem was that trust wasn’t customized to him.

Estate planning isn’t one size fits all, it’s more of a choose your own adventure, depending on your priorities around protecting beneficiaries, minimizing taxes, avoiding probate, and more. A family with several minor beneficiaries needs a very different plan than one with a single savvy heir and massive tax exposure, which is exactly why it matters to work with an attorney who takes the time to actually know you, your family, and your goals.

Schedule a quick chat with our team to get started on choosing your adventure.

09/09/2026

Found a bill for a timeshare your loved one never mentioned?
You’re not alone.
Timeshares are among the most confusing and daunting assets to manage in an estate.
They don’t disappear when an owner dies. They become part of the estate, fees included.
Heirs sometimes have options, like disclaiming the property, but the process depends on the contract and the resort’s policies.
Planning ahead means your family won’t be caught off guard later.
Read the full breakdown on our blog. Link in bio.

08/25/2026

Are estate tax and inheritance tax the same thing?” We get this question a lot.

They’re not. They’re two separate taxes. And fun fact: Maryland is the only state with both!

Estate tax looks at the whole estate. Inheritance tax looks at who’s receiving it, and how they’re related to the person who died.

Close family is generally exempt from the inheritance tax, but other beneficiaries may owe a flat rate.

Same estate, different people, different outcomes.

Full breakdown on our blog. Link in bio.

If you’d like to learn more about how these Maryland death taxes might impact your estate, schedule a quick chat with our team.

08/25/2026

Ever wonder why estate taxes and inheritance taxes get mixed up so often? They're actually two different things. And fun fact: Maryland is the only state with both!

The estate tax looks at the total value of everything someone owned. The inheritance tax depends on who's receiving the inheritance and how they're related to the person who passed away. Close family, like a spouse, children, or parents, are generally exempt from the inheritance tax. Other beneficiaries may owe a flat rate on what they receive.

So two people inheriting from the same estate can end up owing very different amounts.

We broke it all down in a new blog post. Read more if you want the full picture.

Yesterday a client asked me a question I hear all the time: "Are estate tax and inheritance tax just two names for the same thing?" It's a fair question, and the answer is that they're two separate taxes with their own rules. Maryland is the only state that imposes both an estate tax and a

08/12/2026

A will is only as strong as its weakest legal element, and getting every detail right takes more than good intentions.

That’s where working with an attorney who knows the law and is familiar with the nuances in your jurisdiction comes in. In our recent blog post, we walk through what can make a will invalid in Maryland and why the details matter.

Link in bio to read more, or reach out to schedule a Quick Chat with our team.