The Wrong Successor Trustee Can Derail Your Final Wishes

Today many estate plans contain irrevocable trusts that will continue for the benefit of a surviving spouse’s lifetime and then for the benefit of several generations. Since these trusts are designed to span multiple decades, it is crucial to choose the right succession of trustees.

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Wrongful Death Settlement Talks Can Now Proceed in DuBose Case

The aftermath of a high-profile police shooting incident in Cincinnati illustrates a central tenet of estate law when a person passes away without an estate plan.   The death of Sam DuBose received massive media attention and sparked national outrage. In July, DuBose was shot and killed by a University of Cincinnati police officer as […]

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Estate Planning Options for Your Pets

Increasingly people are making provisions in their estate plans for their pets. If you would like to do the same, then you have a few options for how to do it. In the past people gave little thought to what might happen to their pets after they passed away. It certainly was not common to provide […]

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Does Your Revocable Living Trust Reduce Your Estate Tax Bill?

Many people believe that once they set up and fund a revocable living trust, property held in the trust will avoid estate taxes after they die. In reality, this may or may not be true depending on your choice of beneficiaries and the terms written into your trust agreement.   Single Trustmakers and Estate Taxes […]

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Preventing Long Term Care Policy Lapses

Long term care in a nursing home is extremely expensive. One way to mitigate that expense is to purchase a long term care insurance policy. Unfortunately, many of the people most in need of long term care insurance let their policies lapse before they need them.

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The Most Important Love Letters You’ll Ever Write

Many Americans have the misperception that estate planning is simply preparing for one’s death and is only necessary for the affluent. To the contrary, estate planning is as much about passing values to loved ones as it is about passing material possessions.

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3 Powers to Consider Giving to a Trust Protector

Today many estate plans contain irrevocable trusts that will continue for the benefit of a spouse’s lifetime and then for the benefit of several generations. Since these trusts are designed to span multiple decades, it is important that they include a trust protector who will have the ability to adjust the trust provisions as circumstances, […]

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How to Get Disinherited

If you do not want to be disinherited by your relatives, it might be helpful to know what actions often lead to disinheritances so that you can avoid them.   Normally when someone is disinherited it comes with anger and surprise. This is because often people do not think that they have done anything so […]

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The Importance of Digital Asset Planning and Organization

If you have ever forgotten a password to a digital account, then you know how difficult it can sometimes be to retrieve it. It might require remembering how you answered a security question like “Who was your favorite teacher growing up?” Remembering how you quickly answered that question several years in the past can be […]

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