The Disclaimer Trust is an increasingly popular method for married couples to decrease possible estate taxes upon the second spouse's death, thus preserving more assets for the heirs. One major advantage of disclaimer planning is flexibility because although the framework is put in place prior to either spouse's death, no action needs to be taken or decisions made until after the first spouse's death. Disclaimer Trusts are particularly useful in minimizing Minnesota state estate taxes when estates are over $1 million, but not quite large enough to incur federal estate taxes.
You can learn more about the basics of disclaimer trust planning here.