Think, for just a few moments, about what would happen if you suddenly became incapacitated or died. Would your spouse or family know what to do? Would they know where to find important records, assets, password, usernames, and insurance documents? Would they be able to access (or even know about) online accounts or files on […]
Read More »Will You Make these 5 Tragic Yet Common Estate Planning Mistakes?
We see tragedy on a day-to-day basis because good, caring folks make these horrid estate planning mistakes regularly. Will you?
Read More »Why Factoring Long-Term Care Into Your Estate Plan Pays Off
For most people, thinking about estate planning means focusing on what will happen to their money after they pass away. But that misses one pretty significant consideration: the need to plan for long-term care.
Read More »‘Till Death Do Us Part, Too: Estate Planning Tips for Commitment Without Marriage
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 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 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 »Where is the Best Place to Store Your Original Estate Planning Documents?
Estate planning attorneys are often asked where original estate planning documents – wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives – should be stored for safekeeping. While there is no right or wrong answer to this question, consider the following:
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