Articles

When Your Doctor Says to “Get Your Affairs in Order” – What to do There are five words no one ever wants to hear from their doctor: “Get your affairs in order.”... Read More »

How to handle family heirlooms and keepsakes When most people think of estate planning, they think of more liquid assets that include money, real estate, and personal property. However, included... Read More »

Understanding when probate is necessary Whether or not you have an estate plan in place, you have likely heard people talk about “probate”. Probate is the legal process used to... Read More »

Add to Your Estate Plan by Writing Your Own Obituary An obituary can be much more than just a notice for the time and location of your funeral or memorial service. It can be a way to share your... Read More »

How Wills, Trusts & Dying Intestate Differ Most people understand having an estate plan is a good thing. However, many people do not take the first steps to get an estate plan in place... Read More »

Do You Need to Update Your Estate Plan? Yes, and Here’s Why   To be direct, it is unrealistic to think a piece of paper you draft, reflecting your life at a certain time, will... Read More »

A Quick & Simple Reference Guide to the Difference Between Wills & Trusts   Are you confused about the differences between a will and a trust?  If so, you are not alone.... Read More »

Estate Planning Following Divorce Your divorce was recently finalized and the judge has signed the divorce decree. Now what? Although you may feel as though you have spent enough time and... Read More »

Understanding Financial Powers of Attorney  The wealth, property, and investments accrued over a lifetime are often significant. Even though you carefully managed your finances through the... Read More »

The Top Seven Ways to Avoid Family Fights over Your Property Ask a group of friends if they have experienced a family dispute over property after a loved one has passed, and you will likely be in... Read More »

Not Just Death and Taxes: 5 Legal Documents Essential for Incapacity Planning Proper estate planning is more than your legacy after death, avoiding probate, and saving on taxes. Comprehensive... Read More »

How Estate Planning Can Be More Than A Transfer of Assets How to Pass Your Stories and Values to the Future Generations Money may be the most talked about of a person’s estate, but the... Read More »

Interplay Between Life Insurance and Estate Planning: Protecting Your Beneficiaries  One misconception people have about life insurance is that naming beneficiaries is all you have to do to... Read More »

5 Positives of Embracing the Emotional Side of Estate Planning When you hear the phrase “estate plan,” you might just think about paperwork. Or your mind might land on some of the... Read More »

How to Avoid Court Interference with Your Estate Plan It is pretty clear why people in general want to avoid court involvement in an estate plan for financial reasons, since everyone knows... Read More »

3 Ways Your Trust Can Help a Family Member With Mental Illness When a loved one suffers from a mental illness, one small comfort can be knowing that your trust can take care of them through the... Read More »

Protecting Your Estate Plan Against Worst-Case Scenarios  There is no such uncertainty as a sure thing. – Robert Burns  Even with an estate plan, things can always happen... Read More »

Got Stuff? George Carlin Would Say You Need An Estate Plan!  George Carlin would have been a great pitchman for estate planning. You may remember his stand-up routine on "stuff."... Read More »

Estate Planning Tools to Leave Words of Wisdom to the Next Generation  We come into the world a blank slate, and as we grow, we gain wisdom. If you are prepared for the inevitable, you... Read More »

How to Avoid the Top 2 Ways the Court Gets Involved in Your Estate No one wants unnecessary court involvement in their life. But without careful and proactive estate planning, chances are that... Read More »

Estate Planning That Expresses Who You Are - 5 Things to Talk About with Your Family   Although the intent to pass along your wealth through your estate plan is obvious, what about... Read More »

Estate planning is a strategy for developing an approach to the care and management of your estate if you become incapacitated or upon your death. One commonly known purpose of estate planning is to... Read More »

What to Know If Your Deceased Loved One Owned Firearms According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), from 1986 through 2018, tens of millions of firearms were both... Read More »

Planning for Stepchildren and Step-Grandchildren The structure of families has changed in the United States: According to statistics cited by the Pew Research Center, six out of ten women who... Read More »

Reviewing Your Estate Plan after the Death of a Loved One The death of a loved one is never easy. Regardless of your relationship with the deceased (blood relative, life partner, or close... Read More »

Ethical Wills - Passing on Your Wisdom and Experience to the Next Generation Each person accumulates a wealth of knowledge, experiences, and values throughout the course of their life. Regardless... Read More »

Estate Planning Strategies to Protect Your Spouse You have searched for and found the love of your life, maybe your first love, or maybe after a previous marriage. As you have built your life... Read More »

Common Mistakes with DIY Estate Plans! The internet offers all the information and tools we need at our fingertips to create our own estate plan, right? For most people, this is simply not true.... Read More »

Can I Disinherit My Children? Although some may find the question offensive, can you actually disinherit a child? The answer is yes in most situations.  In that regard, you can disinherit a... Read More »

Why Would My Trust Be So Long?   When you meet with an attorney, perhaps all you expect is a simple will. Maybe you think that, with your situation, the work should be easy and the... Read More »

Dying Intestate, Wills & Trusts: Overview   Most people understand an estate plan is a good thing. However, many people do not get an estate plan in place because they fail to... Read More »

Do you really need a will? You May Not Think You Need a Will, But You Really Do.   Most Americans do not have a simple will as part of their estate plan. You might believe a will is only... Read More »