I rarely get political but want to remind voters about the Probate Judge run-off on April 13th. If you have a tax planning will, a family limited partnership, a generation skipping transfer trust(s) for your children, a family business or other complex estate planning issues, you need to care about this race. It is critical that our Probate Judge have a working understanding of these complex matters.
There are two candidates, but only Bonnie Robison is Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate. To be Board Certified in this area, one must pass a complicated exam, including the preparation of a Federal Estate Tax Return (Form 706). At a recent candidate forum, Bonnie’s opponent, Robert Ramirez, didn’t even know what a Form 706 was!
There are two candidates, but only Bonnie Robison is a Certified Public Accountant. This is essential in a Probate Court where many cases involve complicated tax questions. Bonnie’s opponent, Robert Ramirez, does not have this specialized training, and he has never been appointed to handle contested large complex estates.
Even though these may seem like boring issues to many people outside of this field of law, the consequences of electing an inexperienced judge to the Probate bench could be catastrophic for some of our most vulnerable citizens such as children and the elderly. We owe it to them to elect the most experienced, qualified candidate. That candidate is Bonnie Robison.
Robert J. Widmer, Jr.
Denton, TX
 GIF.gif)
