Have you just welcomed a new baby to your family? Protecting your newborn means more than car seats and babyproofing. Creating an estate plan to protect your child no matter what life brings is an often overlooked, but important step to complete. Many people delay establishing an estate plan. They delay due to lack of time, […]
Parents generally try to treat all their children fairly. We often assume that fairness means leaving an equal inheritance to each child. However, when it comes to an estate plan “fair” does not always mean “equal.” A thoughtful estate plan considers each child’s unique circumstances to create distributions that truly support their needs. Situations of “Unequal” […]
The term homestead may seem like a throwback to pioneer days, but homestead exemption laws are directly relevant to today’s estate planning and can play a valuable role in a modern plan. Almost every state has some form of homestead exemption law primarily focused on reducing property taxes and protecting home equity from creditors. While the best-known […]
Do you own your home, other property, or a financial account with someone else, like a spouse, adult child, or someone not related to you by blood or marriage? If so, you might be surprised that a common way of owning property could create future problems for your loved ones. There are several forms of joint […]
Whether a loved one’s passing was expected, due to prolonged illness, or it happens unexpectedly, their passing is always a shock, often leaving behind questions of “what now?” among the survivors. If you have been named the person responsible for managing a loved one’s affairs, after there death, commonly called an executor or administrator (if your loved […]
By and large, estate plans are typically private matters that not something everyone in your life needs to know in detail. The decisions about whom to trust with decision-making power and how you plan to distribute your wealth is your business. For married couples, they will naturally know the details of plans they created together. But […]
Estate planning often feels complex, leading many people to rely on common misconceptions that can have devastating consequences for their loved ones and their legacy. From who can make decisions for you to whether you need an estate plan, common myths can stand between you and a secure future. Let’s debunk these widespread misconceptions and reveal […]
Yes, everyone needs an estate plan, regardless of whether that plan is centered around a will or a trust. These important tools ensure that your legacy will be carried out according to your wishes. They will allow you to provide for loved ones after your passing. A properly prepared trust can also help avoid probate, which […]
After a loved one dies, their money and property that goes through probate must be distributed to the people legally entitled to it, either according to a last will and testament (also called a will) or the state’s default distribution scheme (found in its intestacy statute). While most people want the settlement process done as soon […]
We tend to think of death as a private affair, something that is only for the family to address. It can be easy to forget that some parts of our deaths are actually quite public, to anyone and everyone. Most people think of probate (the process of collecting, managing, and distributing a deceased person’s money and property) […]
