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 »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:
Read More »Surprise! You Can’t Easily Disinherit Your Spouse in the U.S.
Believe it or not, in the U.S. it isn’t easy to disinherit your spouse. But the same is not true for other family members – generally, you can use your estate plan to disinherit your brothers and sisters, your nieces and nephews, or even your very own children and grandchildren.
Read More »How to Make Your Inheritance Last
A 2012 study by Ohio State researcher Jay Zagorsky found that about one-third of Americans who receive an inheritance have negative savings within two years of getting their money, and of those who receive $100,000 or more, nearly one in five spend, donate or simply lose it all. If you are about to receive an […]
Read More »Estate Planning: 3 Reasons We Run the Other Way
We understand that it feels hard to get around to estate planning; it sounds about as fun as getting a root canal. However, we also understand that we all want to make sure that our loved ones are protected and receive our hard-earned assets – regardless of whether we have $10 million or $10,000.
Read More »3 Famous Pet Trust Cases and the Lessons We Can Learn From Them
Things don’t always go according to plan. On the other hand, sometimes pet owners can get a bit creative when providing for their pets. Let’s take a look now at 3 famous cases involving pet trusts and distill important lessons from them.
Read More »Why a Trust is the Best Option for Avoiding Probate
As Ambrose Bierce once darkly observed, “Death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate.”
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