When establishing a trust, you need to give serious thought to choosing your successor trustee—the person who will administer your trust once you’re no longer able to do so. This individual ideally should be:
Read More »Using Estate Sales
In an estate sale personal property in an estate is sold off at auction. These sales are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. There are a couple of groups of people who can take advantage of this trend.
Read More »Three Lessons Business Owners and Others Can Learn From the Estate Planning Mistakes of Farmers and Ranchers Part 2
If you already have an estate plan, you need to understand the importance of keeping your plan up to date as life events happen (births, deaths, marriages, divorces, illnesses, bankruptcies, lawsuits, jackpots) and laws are modified or repealed. As your personal and financial situations change, your team of advisors (including attorneys, accountants, bankers, and insurance […]
Read More »Three Lessons Business Owners and Others Can Learn From the Estate Planning Mistakes of Farmers and Ranchers Part 1
Farming or ranching is more than a means of livelihood – it is about preserving a legacy and unique way of life. Unfortunately, many farmers and ranchers don’t fully protect their legacy with an up to date estate plan. An out of date or inadequate estate plan could result in a farm or ranch that has been […]
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 »How Often Do You Update Your Estate Plan? More Often Than Your Resume?
A resume is a “snapshot” of your experience, skill set, and education which provides prospective employers insight into who you are and how you will perform. Imagine not updating that resume for 5, 10, or even 15 years. Would it accurately reflect who you are? Would it do what you want it to do? Likely […]
Read More »Wills, Trusts & Dying Intestate: How They Differ
Most people understand that having some sort of an estate plan is, as Martha Stewart would say, a “good thing.” However, many of us don’t take the steps to get that estate plan in place because we don’t understand the nuances between wills and trusts – and dying without either.
Read More »Proposed Settlement in Lawsuit against Lanza Estate
The shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School have sparked numerous lawsuits, most of which are nowhere near completion. However, one might reach a conclusion soon. The lawsuit filed by 16 of the victims’ families against the shooter’s mother, Nancy Lanza, is pending a judge’s approval of a proposed settlement.
Read More »Death by Hacker
To make things easier to process, all sorts of important and previously time-consuming tasks are now being put online, including the process of declaring an individual officially dead. That raises the question of whether or not computer hackers can infiltrate the system to have someone declared dead. As it turns out, it is easy for […]
Read More »Anna Nicole Smith Saga Finally Over?
After almost 20 years, the long legal battle between Anna Nicole Smith’s estate and her late husband’s estate might finally be over after a recent court ruling.
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