Advice columnist Ann Landers once observed that “love is friendship that has caught fire.” If that’s true, there are thousands of ways for that blaze to unfold. For many Americans, such devotion and passion do not need to be neatly formalized as marriage.
Read More »Why Your Estate Planning Project Must Morph into a Process
Many people put their estate plan on their to-do list as a one-time project: “Create estate plan” or “Meeting with lawyer 10:30 a.m. Thursday for estate plan.”
Read More »How to Avoid a Disastrous Will or Trust Contest – Part 3
How Can You Avoid a Will or Trust Contest? When you create or update your estate plan, one of your goals should be to insure that your final wishes are fulfilled. If you are concerned about challenges to your estate plan, consider the following:
Read More »How to Avoid a Disastrous Will or Trust Contest – Part 2
A will or trust contest can derail your final wishes, rapidly deplete your estate, and tear your loved ones apart. What Are the Legal Grounds for Contesting a Will or Trust? In general there are four grounds to challenge the validity of your will or trust:
Read More »How to Avoid a Disastrous Will or Trust Contest – Part 1
A will or trust contest can derail your final wishes, rapidly deplete your estate, and tear your loved ones apart. But with proper planning, you can prevent a disastrous will or trust contest. In this issue you will learn:
Read More »5 Ways to Modernize Your Estate Planning Using Flexible Trusts – Part 2
Your estate plan undoubtedly includes trusts that will continue for the benefit of your spouse’s lifetime and then for the benefit of several generations of your family. Implementing and maintaining trusts that will cover the administration, investment, and distribution of trust property over the span of multiple decades is challenging and generally requires you to […]
Read More »5 Ways to Modernize Your Estate Planning Using Flexible Trusts – Part 1
Your estate plan undoubtedly includes trusts that will continue for the benefit of your spouse’s lifetime and then for the benefit of several generations of your family. Implementing and maintaining trusts that will cover the administration, investment, and distribution of trust property over the span of multiple decades is challenging and generally requires you to […]
Read More »Wondering Whether You Need to Update Your Estate Plan? Yes, You Do and Here’s Why
Please allow us to be frank. It’s unrealistic to think that a piece of paper you draft, reflecting your life at a certain time, will work when your life has completely changed some years later. We’ll use the Kendrick family as an example.
Read More »Parental Warning: If You Own Your Property this Way, You May Accidentally Disinherit Your Own Children – Part 2
While it’s easy to add a co-owner’s name to a title, taking someone’s name off a title can be difficult. If the person does not agree, you could end up in court.
Read More »Parental Warning: If You Own Your Property this Way, You May Accidentally Disinherit Your Own Children – Part 1
Owning property as Joint Tenants with Right of Survivorship is easy, common, and often disastrous. Sadly, children – both minor and adult – are often disinherited.
Read More »