Connell Law, PLLC

05/28/2026

Here's an important tip to protect your home.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in deed fraud. This is where someone pretends to be the owner of the property and then executes a fraudulent deed transferring it to another party.

Untangling a mess like that can be a costly nightmare. There is legislation coming into effect soon that will hopefully reduce the amount of fraud, but combating it is an ongoing challenge.

Something that you can do is sign up for My Land Alert. This is a free service that notifies you of any changes in the owner of record for the address you input.

So, for example, let's say you decide to put your primary residence into a revocable trust. Upon the deed being recorded, you will receive an alert that there was a change to the property's ownership.

While this does not stop deed fraud, it puts you on immediate notice that there may be a problem so that you can take action right away.

The following counties participate in this program:

Benton, Blount, Campbell, Cannon, Carroll, Carter, Cheatham, Chester, Crockett, Cocke, Cumberland, Decatur, Dekalb, Dickson, Dyer, Gibson, Grainger, Grundy, Hancock, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Johnson, Lake, Lauderdale, Lewis, Marshall, McMinn, McNairy, Meigs, Montgomery, Morgan, Obion, Overton, Polk, Putnam, Roane, Robertson, Rutherford, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Stewart, Sullivan, Sumner, Tipton, Trousdale, Unicoi, Warren, Washington, and Wayne

The link to sign up for My Land Alert is below.

05/21/2026

Exciting news! In anticipation of future growth, our office will be moving to a new and bigger location on July 1.

We will have a private suite in E-Spaces at 1639 Medical Center Pkwy. #400. This new location will help us deliver an even higher service quality to our clients, as well as prepare for the next stage of the firm's growth.

Until then, our appointments will continue to be at 107 W. Lytle St. If you schedule for after June 30, please be sure to go to our new location.

Thank you so much for all of your support that has made this next phase possible!

05/13/2026

Did you know you can write your own Will by hand in Tennessee?

It's called a holographic Will. With this type of Will, no witnesses or notary are necessary. Just pen and paper. Sounds simple enough, right?

The problem is that "simple" often becomes complicated after you're gone. Holographic Wills routinely leave out executor appointments, skip residuary clauses, or use language vague enough that family members end up in court arguing over what you meant. A handwritten note on a napkin might technically qualify, but probating it is another story.

Tennessee law recognizes holographic Wills. But recognition doesn't mean smooth sailing. The Will still has to be proven in court, and disputes over authenticity or intent can drag on for quite some time. This costs far more than a properly drafted Will ever would have.

If you want your wishes honored without the risk of all that headache and expense, let's talk.

629-219-9100

04/18/2026

Revocable trusts are an increasingly popular estate planning vehicle for a variety of reasons. They avoid probate, offer privacy, and allow for flexible asset management and distribution.

In this article, we discuss five of the top benefits of revocable living trusts, which are available to people from all walks of life.

A Revocable Living Trust has a wide variety of benefits. Here is an overview of five of the biggest benefits this type of Trust offers.

02/11/2026

Estate planning should consider not just tangible assets and investments, but also your digital assets and accounts.

While there is law that provides for fiduciary access to digital assets and accounts, some institutions can still be difficult about it. One of the ways to avoid this is to name a legacy contact now so that your appointed fiduciaries will be able to access your accounts and devices after your death.

For Apple products, this is a guide on how to do just that. Android devices have a similar function as well with your Google account. This is fairly easy to do and can avoid a lot of hassle down the road.

A Legacy Contact is someone you choose to have access to the data in your Apple Account after your death. Learn about the information that’s shared with your Legacy Contact and how to add one or more Legacy Contacts.

02/07/2026

Life changes aren’t the only reason an estate plan can go stale. The law changes too. And sometimes those changes come in ways that quietly break plans that worked well in the past.

A good example of this is when trusts are the beneficiaries of retirement accounts. Many estate plans direct inherited IRAs or 401(k)s into trusts for asset protection, tax planning, or control over distributions to beneficiaries. That approach often worked just fine under the old “stretch IRA” rules.

Then Congress stepped in. The SECURE Act of 2019 and then SECURE 2.0 in 2022 significantly changed how inherited retirement accounts are taxed and distributed.

Spousal beneficiaries generally get a lifetime stretch for inherited retirement accounts. But now, most non-spouse beneficiaries have only 10 years to fully withdraw the account.

Things get much more complex when a trust is the beneficiary of a retirement account. We now need to look at the trust and determine if the beneficiaries of the trust cause the trust to qualify for "see-through trust" treatment so that we get at least that 10 year payout period.

A trust without updated terms to handle retirement accounts can cause a variety of problems:

💸Accelerated income taxes,

⏳Faster distributions than intended,

🛡️Undermining of creditor protection or long-term planning goals, and

⚠️Administrative headaches for trustees and beneficiaries.

Perhaps nothing major in your life has changed since 2019. The documents themselves didn’t change.

But the law did.

That’s why estate planning isn’t a “set it and forget it” matter. Even if your family situation looks the same, an outdated plan can cause serious problems when it’s finally tested. And at that point, it may be too late to fix the problems.

The good news is that we can avoid these problems. If your estate plan includes a trust as a beneficiary of retirement accounts and hasn’t been reviewed since before SECURE 1 or 2, it’s worth taking a closer look now.

Reach out to request a consultation!

🌐 https://connell.legal
📞 629-219-9100

01/31/2026

Got some new branded apparel in and our youngest member of the firm approves!

01/21/2026

Another satisfied client! We appreciate the opportunity to serve our clients with excellence.

Ready to get your estate plan done? Got a business matter you need assistance with? Give us a call.

629-219-9100

01/13/2026

If you're getting your Will done, a key question to answer is who will serve as your Executor. This is not just an honorary title. It's a serious responsibility that involves sophisticated work.

Not sure who to name? Here are some things to keep in mind.

Who should you name as your Executor? Let's discuss some important things before you decide who will fill this critical role.

01/01/2026

Thank you all for another incredible year! We're looking forward to continuing our service to Rutherford County this next year. Wishing you and your family the best in 2026.