You should always decide what you want to happen to your estate after you’re no longer around—that’s why you need a last will. While most people have considered writing their wills, they may often run into trouble in court or among their executors, as well as their heirs. How should you put it together…
In Real Life Blending Two Families Comes With Many Issues To Overcome Television shows like “The Brady Bunch” always make the blended family look easy. If you think coordinating holidays is tough, consider how two families address the division of their estates after one or both of the spouses die. The good news is there…
After presenting a workshop this morning, I realized the questions from that group might be the same questions other people have. So, let’s answer them here again. What Is A Living Trust? Here are the answers. A trust is a great tool to protect your family. Here, I’m talking about one specific kind of trust:…
Finally Ready To Prepare A Complete Estate Plan? Congratulations! Not only have you made an extremely important decision, but you are following through by starting your estate plan. Getting Ready Estate planning is not just something you can jump into and immediately come up with a plan that meets the needs of you and your…
How To Go About Transferring A Small Estate Estates come in all sizes. Procedures for settling an estate may differ depending on the size, however. If you are in charge of settling a friend or loved one’s small estate, take a few moments to consider alternatives to traditional probate. Why Use A Small Estate Affidavit?…
Families usually share a lot with each other. Sharing, though, can be more complex than sharing Grandma’s fruitcake recipe and the family’s cabin in the woods. Some families even share business assets. One business entity that’s used for family business assets is the family limited partnership. It’s also a powerful estate planning tool. It’s All…
With A Personal Estate Plan You’ll Need More Than Just A Will Sometimes you need a complete set to make things work. How would your car move safely down the road with only three tires? Where would the Beatles have been without Ringo? The three basic estate planning documents are a simple Last Will and…
Mike smiled as he watched his grandson, Jake, graduate from kindergarten. He dreamed of Jake’s future, especially his graduation from college. His smile faded as he visualized his grandson dealing with a mountain of school loan debt. Fortunately, Mike knew several ways to save for Jake’s college education, including funding a 529 account on his…
How Do You Avoid Contesting A Will? Alex was patriarch of a large family. They had gone through some tough times. His sons and daughters were not close to each other and only one of them, Roslyn, took care of Alex. At age 93, he decided to revise his Will to disinherit all his children…
Estate planning is all about taking care of people – you and your beneficiaries. Some people face the future knowing they need to provide for a loved one with special needs. One way to do so is through a special needs trust. Who Is Eligible For Setting Up A Special Needs Trust? Obviously, the name…